Humble Yourself Before God

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 4:10

MANY CHRISTIANS LOOK at their lives and wonder whether anything they have done has counted in God’s eyes. I’m just a church janitor. Or, I’m not a Billy Graham. I try to share my faith, but no one ever believes. Or, I’m just not very good at anything like some of those big, important pastors.

Kenny had that attitude. An assistant to a class of elementary children at his church, he wasn’t a great teacher, and whenever it was his turn to lead, the children often groaned. But he turned to the Lord and said, “Help me get better at this. I’ll learn if you’ll lead.”

Kenny decided to join Toastmasters and to take every class the church offered on teaching; he even attended several children’s ministry conferences. He learned a lot, applied it, and soon became a very effective teacher. Once, the students he worked with selected him as the best teacher they ever had.

God uses people in all situations of life. If all of us were Billy Grahams, who would clean up the stadium after the preaching? If everyone were a pastor or an important Christian politician or a doctor or a lawyer, who would grow Christmas trees, plant the fields, or watch over us from their police cruisers as they patrol the streets?

God wanted Kenny to see himself differently. When Kenny humbled himself before God and did his will quietly and rightly, God raised him up and used him in great but simple ways to build his Kingdom. God promises to do the same with all who follow the promise.