“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:8–10 I read an interesting story about Booker T. Washington. When he arrived in Tuskegee, Alabama, as the first teacher and head of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881, few people knew who he was. Once, as he walked through town, a wealthy woman asked if he would like to earn a little money by chopping firewood for her. Instead of being offended, Washington, who had started working in the mines when he was just nine to help provide for his family, rolled up his sleeves and went to work. One of the girls who worked in the house recognized Washington and told the lady who he was after he left. The next day she visited the school to apologize. “It’s perfectly all right, Madam,” Washington said. “Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.” His humble spirit made an impression on her, and she soon became a major financial backer of the Tuskegee Institute, as well as encouraging her friends to join her in support of the school. Humility requires that we be willing to trust God to reward our work rather than making the effort to ensure we receive praise and honor. This is a difficult challenge for many people, especially because we live in a world that is so geared toward self-promotion. Yet we must always remember that God never misses a work that is done for Him. Something as small as a cup of water will be remembered, and we can trust Him to honor things that no one else knows about or sees. Today’s Renewal Principle: Humility requires the faith to believe that God will give us the honor He determines that we deserve.
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 15:10:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015