A story of humility
This fresh set of Daily Devotions is being provided for our LCA/NZ family, friends and visitors to help us to keep our eyes on Jesus as we face unsettling times. They can be used by families and individuals as part of the LCA/NZ’s Church@Home resources to encourage us and build trust in our Heavenly Father during this season of uncertainty and physical isolation.
by Pastor Chris Mann
This is the first in a series of seven devotions on the theme of Seven Great Stories to Tell One Day.
Click here for your printable verse to carry with you today.
Jesus … being in very nature God … humbled himself (Philippians 2:5,6,8).
In the midst of this Coronavirus pandemic there are lots of stories of pain, sorrow and heartbreak. But in the midst of the stories of pain are great stories – stories of healing, hope, and love. Now that we are on the other side of Easter, we can look back and see some of the stories that we may have skipped over in the crucifixion of Jesus. And because he lives in us, his story becomes our story.
Today’s story is about Jesus’ humility.
Often humility is understood as not thinking much of ourselves. That may be true, but humility must be bigger than this. After all, Jesus is our example of humility, and yet he made huge claims about himself, such as: ‘I and the Father are one’ (John 10:30), and ‘Something greater than Solomon is here’ (Matt 12:42).
Rather than declaring ourselves worthless or useless, humility is far more about taking who we are and what we have and using it to make things better for others.
We see this in Jesus, being sinless, and going to the cross, for our sake. Jesus knows that he is someone, knows he is the Son of God – but goes and humbles himself.
Today, let’s be a part of Jesus’ movement of humility – not people who think nothing of themselves, but people who use who they are and what they have for the sake of others. Let’s have a fresh wave of humility serve our community during this time. Let stories be told not of how we are nothing, but of how we used who we are as children of God and what we have as people blessed by God to serve others.
Heavenly Father, help us to be humble. Help us to see that you have made us your children, and are precious in your sight. Help us to take who we are, and what you have given us, and place it in service of others. Amen.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
