Humility
Humility--a little book by Andrew Murray affected my life in a big way. It wasn't until I completed it that I realized just how much.
Some very challenging thoughts (at least for me) from Murray:
*Humility, the place of entire dependence upon God, is from the very nature of things the first duty and highest virtue of His creatures. And so pride--is the root of every sin and evil.
*He (Jesus) never for a moment sought His own honor or asserted His power to vindicate Himself. His whole spirit was that of a life yielded to God.
*It is a solemn thought that our love for God is measured by our everyday relationships with others . . . It is easy to think that we humble ourselves before God, but our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.
*A lesson of deepest importance is that the only humility that is really ours is not the kind we try to show before God in prayer, but the kind we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The seemingly insignificant acts of daily life are the tests of eternity, because they prove what spirit posesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we truly show who we are.
*The chief mark of counterfiet holiness is its lack of humility.
*There are countless assemblies, societies, or committees, where the harmony has been disturbed and the work of God hindered because men who are counted saints are touchy and impatient, self-defensive and self-assertive to the point of sharp judgments and unkind words.
*Let us gladly accept whatever humbles us before God or men--this alone is the path to the glory of God.
*Look upon every person who tries or troubles you as a means of grace to humble you.
*Let us learn to ask whether we have learned to regard a reproof, just or unjust, a reproach from a friend or an enemy, an injury, or difficulty as an opportunity for proving that Jesus is all to us.
And if that's not enough . . . here are some words from others included in the book:
*The truth is this: Pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you. (Taken from "The Spirit Of Prayer," Moreton, Canterbury.)
*I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves--one above another--and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now I find that God's gifts are on shelves--and the lower we stoop, the more we get. (F. B. Meyer.)
*Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself. (T. S. Eliot.)
*Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish yourself to be. (Thomas A Kempis.)
Okay, just reading this book was a humbling experience. I know that none of you need to read it, but it was good for me. :-)
Some very challenging thoughts (at least for me) from Murray:
*Humility, the place of entire dependence upon God, is from the very nature of things the first duty and highest virtue of His creatures. And so pride--is the root of every sin and evil.
*He (Jesus) never for a moment sought His own honor or asserted His power to vindicate Himself. His whole spirit was that of a life yielded to God.
*It is a solemn thought that our love for God is measured by our everyday relationships with others . . . It is easy to think that we humble ourselves before God, but our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.
*A lesson of deepest importance is that the only humility that is really ours is not the kind we try to show before God in prayer, but the kind we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The seemingly insignificant acts of daily life are the tests of eternity, because they prove what spirit posesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we truly show who we are.
*The chief mark of counterfiet holiness is its lack of humility.
*There are countless assemblies, societies, or committees, where the harmony has been disturbed and the work of God hindered because men who are counted saints are touchy and impatient, self-defensive and self-assertive to the point of sharp judgments and unkind words.
*Let us gladly accept whatever humbles us before God or men--this alone is the path to the glory of God.
*Look upon every person who tries or troubles you as a means of grace to humble you.
*Let us learn to ask whether we have learned to regard a reproof, just or unjust, a reproach from a friend or an enemy, an injury, or difficulty as an opportunity for proving that Jesus is all to us.
And if that's not enough . . . here are some words from others included in the book:
*The truth is this: Pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you. (Taken from "The Spirit Of Prayer," Moreton, Canterbury.)
*I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves--one above another--and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now I find that God's gifts are on shelves--and the lower we stoop, the more we get. (F. B. Meyer.)
*Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself. (T. S. Eliot.)
*Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish yourself to be. (Thomas A Kempis.)
Okay, just reading this book was a humbling experience. I know that none of you need to read it, but it was good for me. :-)
posted by Greg Nettle at 5:16 PM
2 Comments:
The greatest battle within myself, for as long as I can remember, is my ego versus my humility.
The war is not counted out in days, but rather moments. Moments within a single day that I reflect on over and over. Then within those moments there are actions and spoken words that I can tally up to measure wins and losses.
My ego would love to tell you all that it does not win the majority of the time... But, my humility must tell the truth.
I need to try harder more often.
I Love me some Andrew Murray!
I have a page of quotes about worship written by him on my wall at work.
"The manna of one day was corrupt when the next day came. I must every day have fresh grace from heaven, and I obtain it only in direct waiting upon God Himself.
Begin each day by tarrying before God, and letting Him touch you. Take time to meet God."
He was something else that guy. I must read this book you speak of me thinks. Thanks for sharing.
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