The 2 drivers for expressing humility in our relationships; the fear of the Lord (relating to God) and walking in agape (relating with others).

Background

Humility is often misunderstood. If someone asked you a direct question; say, ‘Elyse, are you humble?‘ what would your response be? Yes/No/Not Sure/I think so/ etc…. 🙂 Now that is something to consider….

Early this year, I said to one of my ‘elders’ … ‘I admire your humility, that is something I’ll be learning from you this year‘.

Honestly, that sounded really good to me, but even as I said it, I wasn’t really sure what it meant. Truth? there were aspects of this person’s life that one may not really judge as ‘humble’.

So here I am, desiring to learn humility and yet not fully understanding what humility truly means…

Hey, it’s Friday!!!

Welcome to a brand new study series on my blog; Bible Perspectives on Humility. I trust God that this series will be refreshing, exciting, instructive, …and humbling.

Study Scope

In this study series, among other things we will look at;

Definitions of humility (dictionary and biblical), false humility, relationship between humility and obedience, who to be humble to, benefits of being humble, results of prideful living.

Introduction

Humility is a virtue every Christian should strive for. Three immediate benefits of combining humility with the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and a long life (Proverbs 2:24).

“True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.” Proverbs 22:4. NLT

In Mathew 11:29 Jesus admonishes us to be lowly in heart, just as He is. According to Jesus, this manner of living will helps keep our soul at rest (….I will think that is because you do not have anything to prove to anyone).

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 NKJV

A lowly person is someone who is humble in manner and spirit. This suggests that humility is more of the state of the mind more than an outward demeanor.

In Philippians 2:5, Paul, citing Jesus as an example shows that humility when done properly, does lead to elevation or exaltation.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

So, humility is a noble trait, as having a lowly estimation of oneself leads to elevation, exaltation, riches, honor and long life.

I already love humility! But what exactly is it?

What Is Humility?

Dictionary Definition of humility

Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. It is meekness, lowliness and absence of self. Humble people appreciate little things, they respect others and are open to other viewpoints and ideas, they keep their success, accomplishments and achievements in perspective, they acknowledge their mistakes and limitations, they take responsibility for their actions, they listen more and talk less, they do not go around saying they are humble.

Some synonyms for humility are; modesty, meekness, lowliness, submissiveness, diffidence.

Some antonyms for humility include; pride, self-importance, arrogance, haughtiness, etc

So, what do you think? How do you score based on this dictionary definition of humility? Poor/Fair/Good/Excellent? 🙂

One important thing to clarify at this point is that having a low view of oneself should never be interpreted as being a pauper, a beggar, an unimportant or irrelevant person. To humble oneself does not mean to have low self esteem neither does it mean to suffer from rejection or insecurity. There is liberty/freedom where the Spirit of The Lord is.

Every child of God has been bought by the precious priceless blood of Jesus Christ, and as such is royalty, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own ‘peculiar people’. You are like a Lamp on a Lampstand.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
I Peter 2:9 NKJV

Humility is a state of the mind, and not just an outward demeanor. Someone can be outwardly humble and yet arrogant and prideful in their thoughts and actions as shown by their decisions and choices.

It is also important to note that this dictionary definition of humility essentially focuses on a view of oneself relative to others. And depending on how you look at it, this definition may seem somewhat tilted more towards describing a group of persons with some form of real or perceived achievement, accomplishment, worth, value, etc, who inspite of that, are humble (…just an observation).

Question: Can a poor person be arrogant? Can an uneducated person be prideful? Can someone without any significant worth, talent or achievement (by the world’s standard and ranking) be arrogant?

I leave you with these thoughts. In the next part, we consider Bible meanings of humility.

I recently heard about a thief who crawled from house to house in a highly guarded neighbourhood. A few times residents came face to face with this assailant as he quickly brushed past them disappearing into thin air only to reappear in another house. One or two persons registered a sketchy face description in their minds.

When I heard the story it sounded both dumb and ridiculous. What a dumb thief he must be! I mean people already saw him and being a closely-knit and cliquish neighbourhood, words would soon go round. Wouldn’t be long before someone identified him and pointed him out to the security parading the streets. Dumb thief.

You know that’s the kind of thief Jesus spoke about in John 10:10..

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
John 10:10 AMP

John 10:10 thief comes (present continuous tense) and keeps coming, and coming, ….what a dumb thief!

Oh! I thank God that Jesus came. And He came (past tense).

One coming of Jesus was all that was needed. He came that we might have life and have life more abundantly. Jesus came once, and that one coming was enough to secure our salvation, healing, peace, wealth and all things that pertains to life and godliness.

“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Hebrews 9:12 NKJV

Why am I so excited today that Jesus came ?

Because the thief always comes with an agenda. No, he didn’t just stop by to see how things are with you…na… He comes to steal, kill and destroy.

To steal our health, take away our peace, joy, hope etc…and subsequently kill and destroy our destiny.

Ah! Ah!! Thank God Jesus came…

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

Jesus came, got wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity. Now we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. No sin, no penalty, no death. Aha!

Jesus came, took upon Himself all harassment, anxiety, punishment and reprimand that should have come to us. Instead, He gave us peace, His peace, not the type the world gives, no, the peace that passes all understanding.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.“
John 14:27 NKJV

Thank God Jesus came…

He came, carried all our wounds in His own body, now we are healed by His Stripes.

I am so thankful that Jesus came.

Therefore any time this dumb thief crawls into our neighbourhood we lift high our banner of victory (The Name of Jesus) bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,”
Philippians 2:9‭-‬10 NKJV

Thank God Jesus came.

Today, I have life and life more abundantly. I walk in health, peace, love, power, soundness of mind. Because the One in me is greater, I am greater.

Thank You Jesus❤

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them. God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.

“For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’ Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!” So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

Numbers 23:19‭-‬26 NKJV

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.“
I John 3:8 NKJV

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord , And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord”
Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

I declare every work of evil over my life, purpose, ministry, family, affairs, destroyed in the name of Jesus. And I condemn every tongue that has risen against my life, purpose, ministry, family, affairs…in judgement in Jesus Christ name. Amen. I declare that no weapon fashioned against me, my life, purpose, ministry, family, affairs shall prosper in Jesus Christ name. I resist you devil, get out! In Jesus Christ name. Amen. I declare that the BLESSING (to be fruitful and to multiply) is upon me, and the Blessing cannot be reversed.

Do you believe God has called you to minister His Word but somehow you are not exactly sure if you are ready? Whether your call is as an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and/or Teacher (Ephesians 4:11), I believe that after becoming aware that you have a call, the next important thing is to know when you are ready. To be ready, you have to have gone through a preparatory process.

Preparation for Your Call

God is the One who calls us, He is the One who assigns each of the 5 ministry gifts.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
Ephesians 4:7‭-‬8 NKJV

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,“
Ephesians 4:11 NKJV

As we see in Ephesians 4:12-13, God gives these gifts for the good of the Body of Christ.

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;“
Ephesians 4:12‭-‬13 NKJV

These gifts are actually offices and roles. So God doesn’t just give us the gifts, He prepares us to function effectively and efficiently in the different offices. I believe though, that God chooses how best to accomplish this, depending on the assigned office. For example, Peter did not have the same preparatory experience as Paul.

Through the Gospels, we find that Jesus walked His disciples through a preparatory process. Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring, Field Work (sent them out 2/2), Faith Exploits, etc, then He Breathed on them before the actual baptism in Acts 1:8. So Jesus groomed the 12 disciples Himself, they went through stages of preparation. Paul had a different preparatory experience.

Preparation for ministry cannot be by-passed. We just have to be sensitive as to how God is leading us by working closely with and obeying the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes really, we may not know what stage of preparation we are in and whether it is Time. In this blogpost, drawing from Acts 10:38, I share 5 signs that indicate readiness to function in these offices. Note that these may not be the only indicators, but I believe they are key.

Acts 10:38….

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV

Sign #1

• You are anointed with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God’s SPECIAL Gift to the Church (the body of Christ).

“I am writing this letter about those who are trying to lead you into the wrong way. Christ gave you a special gift. You still have this gift in you. So you don’t need anyone to teach you. The gift he gave you teaches you about everything. It is a true gift, not a false one. So continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you.”
1 John 2:26‭-‬27 ERV

The first evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is Speaking in tongues.

“And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”

Speaking in tongues is not the only job of the Holy Spirit in us.

The Holy Spirit is our;

Helper (John 14:16, 15:26), Teacher (John 14:26), Guide (John 16:13), Companion (John 14:16), Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:4), Intercessor (Romans 8:26). He Witnesses Christ (John 15:26).

The Holy Spirit manifests the Fruit of the Spirit in us (Galatians 5:22).

The diversity of Manifestations we see in the Body of Christ are from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 8-11).

What Does it mean to be anointed?

In a recent blogpost “When God Anoints You” I shared some major things that happen when someone becomes anointed of God.

To be anointed, as used in Acts 10:38 is to become consecrated for an office or for a service. To consecrate, is to become formally dedicated or ordained for a purpose.

Notice from Acts 10:38 that this anointing is administered directly by God…..it says…..”how God anointed Jesus”

Traditionally, sometimes a priest, prophet or a dedicated vessel carries out the physical act of pouring oil on someone.

Acts 10:38 says God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit; the Special Gift we received from Jesus. This is the only form of anointing recorded of Jesus in the Bible. There is also no mention of the disciples being anointed with oil into service. They were simply prayed for by laying on of hands (Acts 13, Acts 6).

This Special anointing with the Holy Spirit is what prepares us for every good work/service.

“As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].”
1 John 2:27 AMP

When anointed with the Holy Spirit, we operate fully in the Spirit of the Lord.

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord .”
Isaiah 11:2 NKJV

Sign #2

• You are anointed with Power.

Power is inherent strength (ability) and expressed strength (might). Jesus’ power came from the Holy Spirit.

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV

And Jesus said that’s how his followers, disciples are to receive power.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 NKJV

He relinquished His authority to His disciples.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 NLT

Power is therefore very necessary for fulfilling your call; …

To witness boldly.

To teach

To make disciples

To perform miracles, signs and wonders.

You will never know how much power that is at work in you until you put your faith to work (selah).

Sign #3

• You know Your Office.

Having a job title/description appropriately identifies you and also clarifies your role. It gives you focus. Jesus came as Saviour/Messiah of all and He went about doing good and healing all.

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 NKJV

Paul was an apostle, there is no doubt about that. His various letters to different Churches/groups attests to this (Colossians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, Hebrews, etc).

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,“
I Timothy 1:1 NKJV

One of Jesus’s admonitions to Peter was to ‘feed my sheep‘ (John 21:17). That wasn’t about physical food, but the Spiritual food of the Word. Peter’s office was to teach about Christ-The Word.

Which of the 5 Ministry Gifts is yours? Have you located your office? Be a good steward of the gifts and talents entrusted to your care (Luke 19:11-26). Trust God enough to launch out. Don’t bury your talents.

Sign #4

• You know your Target Population and your message. Jesus’s target population was ALL who are oppressed/bound/limited by the devil.

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV

Paul was sent to the Gentiles.

“For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,”
Romans 11:13 NKJV

You may be sent to a local Church, to a nation, tribe, people or on a global mission. Who is your target audience?

Secondly, what area of grace are you primarily appointed to operate in?; faith, love, hope, prosperity, leadership, etc. (I think this kind of connects with who you are).

Thirdly, each of these 5 Ministry Gifts is a leadership role. Have you ever thought about that? Are you ready to lead? If you want followers then you have to be ready to lead. Are you ready for influence and responsibility?

Sign #5

• You recognize the central role God plays in your calling.

Jesus having come on earth as man, could only accomplish His work because “God was with Him”

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38 NKJV

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 NKJV

As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].”
1 John 2:27 AMP

Without the Vine, the branch can do nothing.

So, what stage of preparation are you in right now? ?.

That is the same question I am asking myself? ?

May The Lord Bless and Keep you ❤

What Is Prayer?

Prayer is conversation, communication and fellowship with God borne out of love and with a consciousness of what God has already done in the sacrifice of His son Jesus.

It is important we understand that the effectiveness or efficacy of prayer doesn’t have much to do with it’s length, how often we pray, or the intensity of our shout but rather it is our faith in God and His word that matters (Hebrews 11:6). Importantly effective prayers must be in line with God’s will, plan and purpose for us.

Talking about length of Prayer, Jesus was a bit disappointed that Peter, and the other 2 disciples couldn’t pray with Him for at least an hour(Matthew 26:40). While this doesn’t in anyway mean that God doesn’t have ears for shorter prayers, it might guide minimum time spent in prayer.

And ofcourse we remember Jesus’ story of the widow who wearied a king with repeated request for same thing (Luke 18:5). So praying about one thing over and over may not guarantee it will receive the expected response, but praying without ceasing is an admonition from scripture we don’t want to forget in a hurry (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Below are five guides for effective prayer.

Prayer Guide #1

• Pray and ask in faith.
  Praying in faith means our expectations are based on God’s Word and trust that we will have them. It involves making request to God and speaking to circumstances in order to make them conform to our desires, without doubts in our heart (Mark11: 22-23). A prayer of faith is backed up by actions (works) and also followed with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving here is an affirmation that we believe we’ve received answers to our prayers.

Prayer Guide #2

• Ask according to the will of God.
  I John 5:14-15 gives us the exclusive privilege that God hears us always when we pray according to His will (His written word). It also means He answers us if we pray according to His stipulated pattern. For example James 5:16b talks about an effectual fervent (heartfelt, specific in purpose, filled with zeal (energy) and fervency, continuous) prayer. Isaiah 43:26 says bring forth your strong reasons. Some prayers require a petition, an agreement, a command or an intercession etc.

Prayer Guide #3

• Pray in the name of Jesus. In John 16:23-24 Jesus said ‘whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you’. We can alter circumstances, cast out demons and demand for something due us by the authority we have in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Guide #4

• Pray prophetic prayers.
  This refers to the prayer in which you speak the will (mind) and purpose of God into being by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. An example is Jonah’s prayer to God when he was in the belly of the fish. (Jonah 2:1-4). As the Bible says; you shall decree a thing and it shall be established.

Prayer Guide #5

• Offer praise and thanksgiving.
  We activate the power of God at work in us when we praise God and offer thanksgiving to Him. For example, King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:14-19, Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-26.

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

Summarily, we have a Father who is willing and able to meet all our requests. This is our confidence.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I John 5:14 NKJV

…….

Thank you so much Ada for your article. Indeed, prayer is a life saving skill every Christian should learn. As you rightly pointed out effective prayers are those prayed in the Spirit and according to the Word offered with thanksgiving and in the name of Jesus.

God bless you Ada.

Friends, a few years ago, someone wrote us on Talk With Grace Obomanu, my online Christian Counseling platform on Facebook asking why God hasn’t answered his prayers. Our response to him is shared here …….Why Hasn’t God Answered Me? Be blessed.

Remember you can now publish on Grace Obomanu Blog (under the Christian Life Saving Skills Category). Simply email your articles to graceobomanu@gmail.com. Together we are making known the Beauty and Benefits of our Belief, thereby giving others the opportunity to believe too. That is what the Father’s Business is all about.

Love Always

Grace Obomanu. 

Going forward, please expect to read highlights of all published articles for the previous month, praise reports and a preview of upcoming events for the next month from this site.

I don’t really know much about the parts of a ship so I cannot say if the stern of every ship is a resting point. What I can say though is that the stern of ship where Jesus lay, asleep in the midst of a storm, was a place of faith, trust, peace and rest.

You know, as I thought about the uneventful ‘disappearance’ of the poisonous serpents, I realized that actually that is how life problems ‘pass away’ as we move our focus away from life’s troubling issues and rightfully fix them on Jesus and His Word.

May I always be a Vessel of Honor. Fit for Purpose. Preserved and Maintained by the Potter