Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? I didn’t. For me they are a wasted effort. If I want to change or add a behavior, I will—as long as I continue wanting to—and if the wanting evaporates, so will my effort. No need for something so uncomfortable as a resolution to prod me along, since typically I discard prods once they’ve become irritating anyway. So no resolutions for me! Instead, my New Year’s tradition is to take the proactive approach and not bother. 😉 But if you’ve made a New Year’s resolution, bravo!

There is something, though, that I’m considering: I’m thinking this might be the year to take God up on two of His offers. He made them for humble people. Since He’s made it so clear throughout scripture that He delights in humble people, it seems that learning to be humble might be a good idea! Especially when it’s one of three things that the prophet MIcah said were God’s requirements! (Micah 6:8)

1Peter 5:5b-6 …God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand.

God’s first offer is to give grace, rather than opposition, to the humble. The Passion Translation says “God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble.” I want to receive God’s multiplied grace and favor! 

On a side note, that verse also said that God opposes the proud. I never want my opponent to be God! The Amplified Classic Version says “For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)–[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. Oh my! Makes me wonder how many times the “brick walls” I ran into were actually God’s resistance against my own pride? 

The second offer is that God will exalt those who humble themselves before Him. Exalt is a word we don’t use a lot these days. It means “raise to honor”. Whoa! Hold on a minute! Doesn’t the Bible say it’s the Lord who should be exalted—by us? After all, Psalm 99:5 says, “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; He is holy.” So doesn’t it sound almost blasphemous or at the very least prideful to even desire to be “exalted” by someone, especially by God? Interestingly, Jesus didn’t think so. He said, “The greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12) 

Did you know that God exalted both Moses and Joshua? Numbers 12:3 says, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth.” It also says, “The LORD spoke to Joshua: ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses.’” Joshua 3:7 

Honestly, for now, I’m pretty sure I just need to focus on the being humble part. Humility doesn’t exactly come naturally to me, but since I know that it is something God highly values in His children, I want to learn to make it something I value and strive for as well. 

Heavenly Father, Humility is never my first choice. My natural response with other people is to make myself look good. And when it comes to humbling myself before You, no doubt I have much to learn. Clearly, acknowledging that “You are God, and I’m not”, is merely the first step. When Mary told the angel that she was “the handmaiden of the Lord”, she displayed an attitude of humility. I have a feeling my own attitude is going to need much adjusting, so I’m asking You to be my Teacher and Coach. And as things come along and I forget I that signed up for this, thank You in advance for reminding me—this isn’t my New Year’s resolution, it’s my prayer!