Humble Leadership With Humility of Character is Scarce No Matter Where You Go - It is So Precious
My heart is not proud O Lord, my eyes are not haughty are the opening words of Psalm 131.
It is not everyone who can take these words on his lips and have the living God agree with him.
But, there came that point in the life of David when he was able to utter such sentiments, and God saw they were true and real.
We could subtitle this Psalm, "Finding Our True Self".
As we connect these thoughts we can trace a spiritual progression and a spiritual developing and almost a spirituality in Christ Jesus, which will see us overcome all kinds of difficulties.
"God, not only did You see me, but I saw me.
" That can be a frightening experience for some people, but not for those in Christ Jesus.
Peter had a glimpse of himself, and it was very painful, and he went and wept, but fully recovered some two weeks later.
It need not take a long time.
Paul had the veil lifted after he came to faith in Jesus Christ, and he then was so aware of what kind of man he had really been, opposing the work of God and persecuting disciples of Jesus Christ.
Some people have expressed it like this.
"Lord I saw me.
Lord, it was as though you had put me through the washing machine.
I was all churned up but clean! So I am not haughty any more, and I am not going to exercise myself with matters that are too high for me, or too wonderful.
" It is good to know one's limitations.
This Psalm is one of the shortest to read but could be the longest to learn.
It is like a short ladder which could lead us to great heights.
It is so very personal.
David did not pry into matters unrevealed, nor did he thrust himself into the priesthood as Saul had done.
But, he knew what to be involved in and what to do and how to lead as king.
Romans Chapter 12 teaches us not to think too highly of ourselves, and that comes from Paul's lips and from Paul's pen.
We see in verse 3 and verse 16 just how that man was transformed and changed.
One translation expresses it, "Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself.
" When we read something of this nature, that usually means that we can very easily behave in just that very way.
We have that ability and capacity to do so.
That is why the Bible warns us of such possible behaviour in our nature.
Paul was an apostle.
He ministered prophetically.
He was an evangelist and teacher.
He did some pastoral work.
God used him to write on vital topics.
He touched the heart and mind of God at times and was able to express all this on paper, and, yet, there is this real deep humility.
We read in Acts Chapter 20 of "great humility and tears".
Not many people could write of themselves and have other men, and Almighty God, agree that it was true and accurate.
Here is a different type of leadership, which is a scarce commodity no matter where you go, but such leadership with these qualities, is looked for by many, and would be appreciated by most.
Sandy Shaw
It is not everyone who can take these words on his lips and have the living God agree with him.
But, there came that point in the life of David when he was able to utter such sentiments, and God saw they were true and real.
We could subtitle this Psalm, "Finding Our True Self".
As we connect these thoughts we can trace a spiritual progression and a spiritual developing and almost a spirituality in Christ Jesus, which will see us overcome all kinds of difficulties.
"God, not only did You see me, but I saw me.
" That can be a frightening experience for some people, but not for those in Christ Jesus.
Peter had a glimpse of himself, and it was very painful, and he went and wept, but fully recovered some two weeks later.
It need not take a long time.
Paul had the veil lifted after he came to faith in Jesus Christ, and he then was so aware of what kind of man he had really been, opposing the work of God and persecuting disciples of Jesus Christ.
Some people have expressed it like this.
"Lord I saw me.
Lord, it was as though you had put me through the washing machine.
I was all churned up but clean! So I am not haughty any more, and I am not going to exercise myself with matters that are too high for me, or too wonderful.
" It is good to know one's limitations.
This Psalm is one of the shortest to read but could be the longest to learn.
It is like a short ladder which could lead us to great heights.
It is so very personal.
David did not pry into matters unrevealed, nor did he thrust himself into the priesthood as Saul had done.
But, he knew what to be involved in and what to do and how to lead as king.
Romans Chapter 12 teaches us not to think too highly of ourselves, and that comes from Paul's lips and from Paul's pen.
We see in verse 3 and verse 16 just how that man was transformed and changed.
One translation expresses it, "Don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself.
" When we read something of this nature, that usually means that we can very easily behave in just that very way.
We have that ability and capacity to do so.
That is why the Bible warns us of such possible behaviour in our nature.
Paul was an apostle.
He ministered prophetically.
He was an evangelist and teacher.
He did some pastoral work.
God used him to write on vital topics.
He touched the heart and mind of God at times and was able to express all this on paper, and, yet, there is this real deep humility.
We read in Acts Chapter 20 of "great humility and tears".
Not many people could write of themselves and have other men, and Almighty God, agree that it was true and accurate.
Here is a different type of leadership, which is a scarce commodity no matter where you go, but such leadership with these qualities, is looked for by many, and would be appreciated by most.
Sandy Shaw
