A lawyer had successfully handled a difficult court case for a wealthy friend. Following the happy outcome of the case, the friend called on the lawyer, expressed his appreciation of his work, and handed him a handsome leather wallet. The lawyer looked at the wallet in astonishment and handed it back with a sharp reminder that a wallet could not possibly compensate him for his services. “My fee for that work,” snapped the attorney, “is five hundred dollars.” The client opened the wallet, removed a one-thousand dollar bill, replaced it with a five-hundred dollar bill and handed it back to the lawyer with a smile. Obviously, this attorney had an arrogant attitude about what he expected to receive for his services, but it did not work out as well as it could have if he had practiced humility. Arrogance too often causes us to miss out on something special God intends for us.
In our modern culture, it is not popular to yield to anyone or to submit your will to that of another. People are lifted up when they insist upon the best for themselves or show determination to get their own way. This thinking, however, is not God’s thinking. God lifts up the humble person who makes himself a servant and shows true humility. Serving the Lord and others is not a waste—it is exactly what God wants us to do. As parents, it is important that we show a humble spirit to our children and not an arrogant one. Our children are watching our responses all the time–when asked for a favor, when driving in heavy traffic, or when facing a stressful day or a difficult situation. If our children see us react with pride and selfishness instead of humility, they will be more likely to follow our example and be arrogant people themselves.
A humble person is never arrogant but admits when he is wrong. No matter how hard you may try, as a sinful person, you will still sin. No matter how hard our children try, they will still sin at times. We must help our children understand that it is very arrogant and prideful to think you are perfect and will make no mistakes. When they are wrong, they must admit it. Teach them not to make excuses but to take responsibility for their actions.
Another part of humility is doing what someone else wants and not what we want. Often we do not really want to obey the Bible, obey our authorities, do the right thing, and be kind to each other. However, to please God and be successful, we must be willing to do what we should do, even if it is not fun. Always try to submit your life to what God desires you to be and to have. If you mess up, try again and do not stop trying. If you are willing to humble yourself, God can begin to show you what you need—Him.
MEMORY VERSE
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” I Peter 5:6