Joyful Humble Gratitude to God

Joyful Humble Gratitude to God For All He Is Doing In Your Life

By Dave Pound

     Have you ever felt a surge of joy when you accomplished something difficult? Did you feel like telling someone or everyone about what you achieved? That's a natural response, and it's not wrong to feel satisfied by a job well done. Our feelings can often give way, ever so subtly, to pride. How do we stay focused on the goodness of God and embrace His glory instead of our own? How can we be sure we value our status in the kingdom of God more than our position in this world?

     Feeling an overwhelming desire to seek status is a challenge for many people today, believers and non-believers alike struggle with the temptation. If you've ever felt the need to promote yourself or protect your position, it's an understandable feeling. However, God has so much more for you than living in fear of missing out or being left behind. Seeking status in the world will always leave you feeling empty, but turning your life over to the Lord - your status included - will be more fulfilling than you can imagine.

     You may immediately think, "Well pride isn't a big problem for me." Yet status-seeking comes in different forms, and some are quite subtle. For instance, have you ever felt superior to someone else? Are there certain jobs or tasks you've considered to be beneath you? Are there people in the church you'd rather not associate with because of their background, education level, looks, or even how they live? Or maybe you harbor an unhealthy desire to be noticed for the good things you do?

     Whether we mean for it to be or not, status-seeking is an attempt to exalt ourselves. Sometimes it's accomplished by putting another person down. We can all easily fall into this trap if we're not careful. That's why it's important to stay close to the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, allowing the Holy Spirit to search our hearts.

     Humility is not low self-esteem, but an accurate viewpoint of oneself from God's perspective. It means I can love myself as He loves me with full trust and confidence in how He sees me. That I can embrace my place as a beloved child created in His image, saved and sustained by His grace. That doesn't make us better than anybody else; God's children are equal in His eyes. There's no need to compete with anyone else because our position in Him is eternally secure.

     Jesus is our model for humility. And when we walk intimately with Him, we grow in His likeness. Humility shows up in the way we speak and act, especially in how we give our time and resources for the sake of others. The world may focus on status, but the Lord focuses on service as Jesus says in Matthew 23:11, "The greatest among you shall be your servant." As we serve others sacrificially, placing their needs above our own, we emulate our Savior.

     My friend, the only status that matters is the one God gives us. You don't need to worry about what people around you think. The Lord sees your good qualities and cherishes them. What's more, God promises to lift us up in His way and His time (1 Peter 5:4). God, rightfully, gets all the glory. In a world that values self-promotion and ego-boosting, it's refreshing and liberating to embrace God's path. Living with Christ-like humility isn't about self-deprecation; it's about recognizing our true worth, not in our own eyes, but in our heavenly Father's. It's about trading anxiety for genuine joy. It’s about trading status-seeking for a deeper sense of belonging to the Lord and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Resource:

“From the Pastor's Heart: Timeless Teachings of Charles Stanley” In Touch Ministries Atlanta, GA.