Friday, 11 March 2022
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:” – Philippians 4:11 NKJV
Whenever we drive back home after church, before I can even engage the handbrake, my daughter shouts, “It’s my turn to watch TV”. I always laugh when this happens because she feels like it’s a competition. From time to time I started to realize that watching her programs has become an expectation because I let her do it previously she now feels like it’s an expectation and a must. I then told her the other day that it’s my TV and if I decide to she might not even watch her programs for the whole year. I let her watch because I love her and I know it makes her happy, but she must never ever believe it’s an expectation or a right.
As Christians, we also have the same entitlement attitude towards GOD. He has given us all that we have and has promised us more not because He has to, but because He loves us and it brings Him pleasure. He is our Creator and He created us for His own pleasure, He doesn’t owe us anything. He doesn’t even have to bless us. Job when told of the calamity, said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised”. He understood that everything he had belonged to the LORD, he was but only an insignificant steward (GOD could have chosen anyone else ). This shows you the humility of Job.
In the above Scripture, the Apostle Paul also understood that as a servant of God you are not entitled to anything. You have what GOD chooses to give you, hence he was content with anything GOD provides or doesn’t provide for him. In everything, he gave praise to Him. The gift of life is what we ought to be thankful for. The fact that you are reading this now, while thousands of people didn’t wake up this morning, you ought to be thankful to GOD and not to demand more. This is where we as Christians lose the plot. GOD has promised me material blessings and when they don’t come to fruition when I expect them to, I start to complain and resent Him. Many have even given up on the faith because they felt entitled to those blessings. Like my daughter above, just because He has given you some blessings doesn’t mean that you are entitled to more. It’s His blessings to give, and He gives them to whomever He chooses whenever He chooses. It takes great humility to understand this concept. Paul and Job are our role models because of their walk with the LORD and because of their humility. Jesus also required humility to complete His assignment. GOD could have chosen not to resurrect Him and as a man on earth, he had to submit to God’s will. When on the cross enduring the pain He could have called off the whole thing, yet at the peak of the intense and excruciating pain, he decided to humble Himself. He was then exalted to the highest place because of his humility. As a result, He requires humility from us because He leads by example, and expects what He has done Himself. So we need to humble ourselves and also remember that as servants of God we serve at His pleasure. That pleasure means He does what He wants and when He wants to, and He uses us as He sees fit. Yet in all of this, He promises us that all things will work out for our good. How awesome is He?
He requires humility from us because He leads by example, and expects what He has done Himself
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