During the busyness and hurriedness of the Christmas season, have you taken the time to consider the gift God is asking of you? There are three things He asks for, which are found in Micah 6:8, where it says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
This December, we’ve been learning what Jesus really wants for His birthday as part of our All I Want For Christmas series. This week, let’s delve into the third gift God asks us to do: Walk Humbly. What does that mean exactly? For us to be able to walk humbly, it is so important that we let go of Pride!
WHAT IS PRIDE?
Pride is the sin we like to see in others and the one we least notice in ourselves.
You have probably heard someone say, "Pride comes before a fall," but did you know this saying is found in Proverbs 16:18? Throughout the Bible, we are warned against Pride. Nevertheless, it is something each of us struggles with regularly. Have you ever wondered why? Simply put – we are selfish people. The Bible depicts Pride as the sin of selfishness. It causes us to focus on ourselves rather than God and others.
THE ISSUE WITH PRIDE
The issue with Pride is that it tends to creep in, and often we do not realize it until it has already caused us to sin. For example, we tend to believe that when we see pride in other people, they are arrogant and boastful. However, Pride can manifest itself in so many other ways, such as refusing to admit your part in doing wrong, asking for help, or seeking forgiveness.
If not checked, Pride can and will dominate our lives. That is not a good thing! Proverbs 11:2 reminds us, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." We need God; unfortunately, Pride will ultimately separate us from others, most notably from God. Therefore, this Christmas, God asks us to lay our Pride at His feet and walk humbly with Him.
HOW DO WE BECOME HUMBLE?
When you put off your pride, Humility is something we put on and practice! Moreover, here are two great ways to practice humility:
#1) When we walk humbly, we give generously! When we give gifts or give up our time for someone else, we say something or someone is more important than us. Those moments of generosity allow us to practice and put on humility. In Romans 12:3, Paul tells us, Don't think of yourself too high, think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
#2) When we walk humbly, we gravitate toward gratitude. Every good, positive, and beautiful thing in our lives is not our doing or something we deserve but a gift and a blessing from God. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Humility is what God wants from us this Christmas. Are you committed to giving God this gift?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For additional related content from Liquid Church, check out the resources below:
- MESSAGE: For the entire message from part 3 of Liquid Church's "All I Want For Christmas" Series, "Walk Humbly," click here.
- VOLUNTEER: Every year, our church partners with City Relief, which mobilizes thousands of volunteers to compassionately serve those struggling with homelessness by providing hope and resources that lead toward life transformation. To learn more about City Relief, click here.
- CHRISTMAS OFFERING: To learn how you can help us fulfill the Micah 6:8 vision through 4 vital missions in 2023, view our Christmas Offering Brochure by clicking here.