CHOOSE WELL
- Key Verse
- "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)
READ TODAY'S PASSAGE-
READ THE CHAPTER
Central Truth
We can choose to either humble ourselves before the Lord or be humbled by our choices.
Reflections
Whether we like it or not, we are not in control. Thank You, Jesus!Confession time: When I was first asked to write this Journey entry, I immediately started to think of the impression I was going to make (one way or the other) on you, the reader, with what I did or didn't know about God's Word.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's not that Christ didn't agree with what the Pharisees and Scribes were teaching (23:3), but He had a problem with the impossible demands they were putting on the people. They were telling the people to do one thing and then doing something else themselves. For the Pharisees and the religious elite of the day, it was all about show, prestige, respect, or better yet—pride.
I have also struggled with pride in my life. C.S. Lewis describes pride well in the book Mere Christianity as "spiritual cancer" and the opposite of humility. Micah 6:8 reminds me of what God requires of me, but I get to make a choice every day whether to "walk humbly with my God." Having a clear understanding of what humility is and isn't makes all the difference. It's not about thinking less about ourselves, but thinking about ourselves less. John Ortberg described it well in The Life You've Always Wanted as "being more about a healthy self forgetfulness and a freedom to quit trying or pretending to be something we are not." It is realizing God is God, and we are not.
Again, Jesus did not fault what the scribes and Pharisees said to do, but He challenged their hypocrisy because they did not practice what they taught. Will you follow Jesus' commands today with your choices and exalt Him, or will your choices ultimately lead to your humiliation?
Discussion Questions
1. Whom am I trying to serve—the Lord or my own interests?
2. To Jesus, greatness came from serving. What kind of greatness do you seek?
3. What is an area of your life in which you are exalting yourself? What can you do to walk more humbly with your Lord?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What did the Pharisees do to make themselves look great (verses 5-7)?
2. The Pharisees were focused on looking great, not on loving and following Jesus. Are you more focused on people thinking you are great or on loving and sharing Jesus?
3. How can you focus on loving Jesus more than being great?
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Watermark Community Church.
paul rutherford
March 26, 2010 02:28 PM
Scott, thanks for your insight. We can never elevate Scripture with our words. The Word of God is the most powerful and effective word, people will ever receive. Our words serve only to explain or make more clear the words God has already chosen to speak. Thanks for that reminder. Thanks for your humility, Scott. It's refreshing.
Carrie Green
March 26, 2010 01:23 PM
Scott, Loved this and something I needed to read as I was trying to tell God the way to do things today. thanks for application of verses and reminder that God is God and I am not... thanks also for the way you have chosen to lead your family and the way that has encouraged our family in the past few years.
dh105
March 26, 2010 12:06 PM
Wow. God is God, and I am not. What a relief. In a world, where I am constantly trying to be younger, thinner, bustier, prettier, it's a relief to know that I don't have to be perfect or ensure that all men swoon over me or catch my eye as I walk by. I just have to be me and surrender allllllll the rest to God. Thank you for your meditation on humility and honor and forgetting ourselves. Great timing.
Kevin Green
March 26, 2010 09:51 AM
Scottie great job! I guess it was pride that caused the fudging on the weight, huh? That would have been beyond a lesson in humility to reach the ground...I really liked your message this morning and hope to see you soon.
Rob Thomas
March 26, 2010 09:42 AM
In an effort to not care what peeple think of me (per Scott's thoughts), I'm mispelling things on purpose. Great thoughts on today's reading. It actually made me think through how I use Twitter, Facebook, and anything where I'm tempted to be narcistic. (That's a legit misspelling).
Blake H
March 26, 2010 06:19 AM
Scottie! Way to go! Great word this morning. Thanks for the reminder. And, thanks for the example of humility you set for all of us . . . Sic 'em, Bears!
Truby
March 26, 2010 06:28 AM
Thanks Scott for the great reminder. It seems like it gets harder and harder to find someone who practices what they preach. Thanks for the way you humbly lead by example. TMc
Kay Wyma
March 26, 2010 06:49 AM
Well said, Scott. Great application from these verses and super quotes from those wise men. -K ... oh, yeah, and ditto on Blake's Bears.
Brad Carrington
March 26, 2010 08:44 AM
Thank you Scott -
Eric Colton
March 29, 2010 11:52 AM
Scott, I was out of town on Friday so I did not get to read this until today. What a great and powerful reminder to love the Lord and be humble as I start off my week. Thanks for your instructing words and your friendship....