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Humility before Jesus

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Luke 5:7–8

In all the times I have been fishing, I have never caught so many fish that their combined weight threatened to sink the boat I was in—let alone so many that it was too much for two boats to handle. But that was the position that Peter found himself in when he launched out into the deep at Jesus’ command. When he saw the power of God on display in this unique way, Peter’s response is instructive. He did not cheer and congratulate himself—he knelt and repented. Peter realized just how far short he had come of God’s purpose.
Too many Christians are self-satisfied and somewhat proud of what God has done in their lives. It is easy for us to start thinking that we deserve His blessings and even think that the success we may experience is due to us rather than to Him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Paul asked the members of the church at Corinth who were tempted to be lifted up in pride: “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
We realize that we are saved by grace through faith alone apart from any merit we have, but sometimes we forget that our work for God must be done the same way. The more we see God at work, the more we should bow down in grateful humility, recognizing that it is His power rather than ours that brings results.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

When we humble ourselves, God is able to work powerfully to bring glory to Himself in our lives.

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It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.  --Romans 14:21 Any time we choose to do something that the Bible does not expressly forbid, we should stop and ask ourselves some important questions: “Does this action honor God? Is it helpful to my Christian walk? Will it negatively impact other believers who may follow my example?” Whether or not we choose to do that action should depend on the answers to these questions. Let’s talk about that last question today. Not everyone in the body of Christ is at the same point of spiritual maturity. Some Christians are either very young or still relatively immature in the faith, and thus may be more easily influenced by the actions of others. Instead of disregarding them, the Bible teaches us to be careful to make decisions that will not negatively impact them. This should be a very serious consideration for believers, who are called to be examples. Things such as our use of language and alcohol come to mind when I think of activities that could cause someone else to stumble and fall. Imagine, for example, that a church leader is using alcohol in public, maybe as part of a meal at a restaurant. The problem comes when a middle school student from the church sees this leader and decides that’s what he’ll do when he gets old enough. Little eyes are always watching you, waiting to see what you choose to do. Even if you can control your habits, can you guarantee that those around you will be able to control the habit that you helped start in their lives? These are tough questions, but I believe we need to ask them so we can hold ourselves to the highest standards of Christian conduct.  We are to be above reproach and to set an example to believers and nonbelievers alike. Are you sending the right messages through your actions? Let me urge you to live with an acute awareness of those around you who may be at a different point of maturity in their walk with Christ. REMEMBER, YOUR ACTIONS WILL INFLUENCE HOW OTHERS MAY CHOOSE TO ACT!