PRACTICAL HUMILITY

Understanding the true nature of pride and how to deal with it daily.

Humility (n):

The quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. - Oxford Dictionary

I understood the word but I couldn’t find a way to translate it to action. It burdened me every time the prideful nature reared it’s ugly head in my conversations and relationships. So I asked the Lord and He made it clear.

Let me tell you a story…

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It was a quiet Sunday morning and chapel service had just ended. I got to my room, threw my bag on the bed, kicked off my shoes and dropped to my knees. For the first few minutes, I had no words. I looked down at my hands, and then to the sky, and then the praises flowed.

If you think this was dramatic, wait till you hear what made me this way…

Earlier that day, I had woken up without a voice. Which on a normal day would mean nothing, or at most, not as much noise in class. But this day was not normal, it wasn’t close. This day, mere 2 hours from this voiceless episode, I had a ministration TO LEAD!

It can’t just be me, there’s a point you get to on the panic scale where you are either eerily calm or realizing the humor in irony.

I solemnly donned my clothes and made my way out the door. We ran the song during pre-service and I was sure I sounded like a duck with a sore throat, but for some odd reason, I got compliments afterwards. I waved it off, coming to a conclusion that they were either mocking me or deaf.

In the moments leading up to the ministration, I was in a torturous bubble of present-absence with a slideshow of all the worst possible outcomes playing out before me…

....and then I heard it….

“…as we welcome the Covenant University Musical Department for their ministration!”

For a split moment, it felt as though my soul escaped my body, the room seemed to spin and my heart doubled its pace, threatening to leap and run out of the Chapel on my behalf. I took meditative steps towards the altar and sent a prayer of surrender to heaven.

Something transformative happened then. It’s simply cannot be explained. But with every step I took, there was a heightened assurance, and by the time my heels struck the altar, I was left with an immense calm. In that time, I thought not of the voice I lacked, or of the possibility of forgetting the lyrics, or my expert-level clumsiness that could send me rolling off the altar someway, somehow. It was actually quiet up there (and that’s saying something). I had no thoughts.

I remain unaware of the words that spilled out of my lips next, but something about them made a person in the second row cry. That was all I needed to be sure that the next few moments were God’s and not mine.

The song began, and somehow, I had a voice for it. At that moment, I let go completely. With the miracle of the ministration, I had a new meaning to the song.

“Christ is my firm foundation…..He won’t fail, He won’t fail…^_”

The ministration ended and I returned to my seat. The rest of the service was a blur of awe-filled ecstasy and wonder.

Fun fact: I was back to voiceless.

God really has a sense of humor!😁

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So why the story?

Afterwards, an abundance of testimonies and compliments were shared with me. It was amazing, I ran to my room and well, you know the rest. After the worship session and thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit painted me a picture.

Imagine it.

A small business owner hires a salesperson to watch over his stall while he’s away. The salesperson sells products and collects the money for them. Naturally, the money is to be handed over the business owner at the day’s end. At the end of the day, week or month, the salesperson receives a salary anyway. If the salesperson chooses to hold back the money rather than hand it over, he is termed a thief. In this illustration, He made it clear to me the true nature of pride. It is in a sense, stealing.

Here;

• Business Owner: God

• Salesperson: Me

• Products: Gifts to be used in His ministry. Use of our gifts to bless another

• Money: Praise

• Salary: Blessings (Exodus 23:25-26)

But you - you serve your God and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you; 26 there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives.

Exodus 23:25-26 (MSG).

When we do something seemingly amazing, we naturally will earn the praise of man. Our response, however, shouldn’t be to hoard that praise, but rather to divert it, pass it on to God.

He reminded me of the chain of events. “The voice you have comes from me”. He stripped of the voice I thought I could control quite well and directed when it would come and go. It made me aware that my proficiency in singing wasn’t my doing but a gift from God. He took away my illusion of control, making clear who really was in control. That single instance made me understand that everything I had came from Him so compliments on them need to go to Him too.

When the praises come, remind yourself where the gift their praising came from, accord Him the praise and He will richly bless you. He is generous to those who acknowledge Him.

If we would take this practical steps in practicing humility with a genuine recognition of God as our source, pride will be much easier to deal with. It is however, also important to remember that humility is a fruit of the spirit and a feature of love (God is love), so it is important to seek His strength in implementing these steps.

Have I perfected this and attained the utmost level of humility man has ever witnessed? I think not. The title remains Moses’ (Numbers 12:3)😊 .

Someone may think with what I’ve shared, I have surely mastered humility. However, humility is something that is birthed of daily, intentional mental restructuring. It is waking every morning and realigning you heart with the truth of who makes you what you are and choosing to walk all day, everyday with that consciousness.

May God strengthen, guide and bless you!❤

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