Matthew 23:12
“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I am not in charge. God’s will for me will always prevail. So, the harder I work for my own name’s sake, for my reputation or for my image, the less I am in line with God’s will. It will not end well if I have not included God in my ambitions.
Holy Lord, may my only ambition be to grow closer to you. You have blessed me with the opportunity to have a career which I have loved. Any “successes” have been your doing, and not mine. I am so thankful. May I grow ever close to you, ever more toward the image you have for me. Amen
Becky, transforming
Matthew 23:12
We live in a world and a culture that exalts success. Jesus wants us to exalt service. Often the successful demean the humble. Come,on—toot your own horn they say. That was never Jesus’ way. If we want to be more like Jesus, we will not shout about what we do, but just go about servicing others.
Prayer: Gracious God, Thank you,for the skills you have given me. May I quietly continue to use them to serve you.
AMBITION
Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
Matthew 23:12
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Jesus is warning the people against the “so-called” religious leaders, who only focused on themselves, wearing great garbs and “holy than thou” attitude. They were hypocritical and Jesus told them so . We are reminded that we are to serve others, where ever and whenever we can. This is Jesus’s great command. We are to serve him by serving others. We have one father and it is our God, we have one teacher and his name is Jesus. We have the promise of the holy spirit. Jesus came as a servant, he did not die so I could feel holier…
Matthew 23:12
Relentless self-promotion is off-putting but for some, appears to be a formula for success. Humble service can be a feature of one’s entire life without accolade or fanfare. While this may be true in our fallen world, followers of Christ take the Savior’s words seriously and try to live as He taught. We are confident that all humble service will be exalted, sometimes on earth, but always in heaven.
Prayer - Lord, as I look back on a long career, it seems clearer than ever that humility and service were never failingly more fruitful than ego and swagger. I give thanks to the Holy Spirit for making life itself a great teacher of Scripture and pray that I…