The Gift of Humility
32147981 – releasing a white dove into the air concept for freedom, peace and spirituality
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
1 Peter 5:6
If I had to begin my search for freedom from lust all over again, I would start by praying for humility. Possessing such a gift would have saved my loved ones and me from much grief and pain.
If I had been humble:
* My pride would not have kept me from sharing my struggle with lust with others for so long. I’d have sought help earlier, which would have saved me from years of binging and shame.
* I would have had proper perspective. I was a successful, albeit arrogant, businessman. Since I had “climbed to the top” by hard work and ambition, I thought I could accomplish whatever I put my mind to—including overcoming lust. Big mistake. If I had been humble, I wouldn’t have bought into the lie that success and blessings in one area of life translate into victory over sin in another. I would have seen prosperity as a gift of God’s grace, not something that came about because of “my greatness.”
* I would have leaned harder on God and put far less stock in my earthly wisdom. I’ve made many mistakes trying to do things my way and have learned that seeking God’s ways, wisdom, and will—and then obeying—are critical to true success.
* I wouldn’t have needed so much pain to “get it.” We can choose humility on our own, or we can be forced to learn it the hard way by God’s painful discipline. Unfortunately, I had a bad habit of taking the second option. After years of struggling with sexual sin, it took the bottom falling out of my marriage (due to my adultery with a prostitute) before I finally got serious about seeking help.
* I wouldn’t have hurt others so often. Absent my drive to be a Christian superstar, I wouldn’t have neglected my family. I would have valued them far more and treated them as the precious gifts from God they are. There would have been less emphasis on performing tasks and more on loving people.
* I would have come closer to fulfilling the greatest commandment: to love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30). I would have listened and worshipped more. My lists of wants (even freedom from sin) would have been less important than getting to know Him. The first love of my life would have been the Lord.
If I had been humble, I would have experienced more of God’s wonderful grace. Without the umbrella of my pride, I would have spent more time soaking in the life–giving rain of His love.
Humility is a precious gift. May you seek it today.
Excerpted from Mike Genung’s book, 100 Days on the Road to Grace; A Devotional for the Sexually Broken
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