THE HOME DEVO

         James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (ESV). God recognized the humble, and according to James, will extend grace to them, probably because the humble tend to extend forgiveness to others. Humility is often misunderstood and even viewed as a weakness. But it is the exact opposite. By practicing humility, we position ourselves to receive God's grace and become everything He's called us to be. Humble people are the happiest people. They accept their life and what God has called them to do, not being concerned what the world thinks about it. Our importance exists because God loves and values us. Our worth comes from the fact that Jesus died for us and paid a dear price.  I challenge you to read the lyrics of the song, "Who Am I?"  So many of us live a life of misery because we constantly compare ourselves to others who we perceive to be more attractive, more intelligent, and more successful.  ...

  Perhaps the most helpful and effective characteristic of a good leader is Humility.  We have all seen Tyrants in the work place, and we have most likely seen humble leaders as well.   In fact, it is so important that the Bible lists this as a qualification to be an Elder of the Lord's church.  Titus 1:7 states that an elder must be "not self-willed, not quick tempered".  As a leader on the job, in our businesses, or at home, there are some actions we can take to develop humility as a leader. 1.       Admit when you are wrong.  Everyone makes mistakes. One measure of your success is how well you recover from mistakes. Let others know you’re human, you don’t have all the answers and you will partner with them to solve problems. 2.       Put yourself in others shoes, and allow them to offer suggestions. 3.       Recognize others for a job well done, or a good deed done. ...

       Eckart Tolle is credited with saying "If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you as human beings. No Humility, No compassion".   We all know that when we suffer from something in our lives, we develop a special compassion for those who have suffered the same thing.  It is awesome to see when someone uses a negative event in their life, to help others.   I know of a family who lost their son to depression many years ago, and have committed over 30 years to helping others cope with similar deaths.  This is an amazing example of someone using a personal struggle to help others, and allow Christ to live in them.  We all know of examples where something similar has happened.  When we struggle, it humbles us, and thus compassion is often the result.  James  5:11  says "As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen wh...

  “Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”   (Proverbs 8:13b)   “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord.  Be assured, he will not go unpunished.”   (Proverbs 16:5)  These verses really gripped me.  God hates it when we are proud.  Why does God hate  pride ?  God hates it because it comes from inside of the heart.  A proud man thinks of himself as higher than someone else.  Are you too busy to hold the door for someone?  Is your circle of friends too classy to go and help feed the homeless?  Is your car too clean to give someone a ride somewhere?  Do you avoid people that you don’t want to associate with?  Believers in Christ are called to be servants (Mark  9:35 ) and if our lifestyle prevents us from serving in any capacity then repentance must be made with God.  You may have to give up some things in order to really fight the temptatio...

  We often hear songs which have a great message. Tim McGraw released a song that really struck a chord with me.  I am sure you have heard the song "Humble and Kind".  The song includes lines like "Hold the door, say please, say thank you, Don't steal, don't cheat, and don’t lie. I know you got mountains to climb, but always stay Humble and Kind......". ...When the work you put in is realized, let yourself feel the pride, but always stay Humble and Kind....." The last line of the song says "When you get where your going don't forget turn back around and help the next one in line.....".  When listening to this song, I have often thought what a different world we would live in if everyone adhered to these principles.  Unfortunately, it seems very few do.  The song was written by Lori McKenna simply as a message to her five children, never envisioning that the song would become a Number one hit.  The song has even inspired a #HumbleandKind ...

      Who is John Newton? Well, a recent John Newton played Clark Kent on the show Superboy! However, I am speaking about the English sailor and clergyman who wrote the song "Amazing Grace".  Recently, I heard a sermon by Ray Reynolds about the poem written by John Newton in 1770 titled "The Kite". In the poem, the Kite says  "Were I but free, I’d take a flight, And pierce the clouds beyond their sight, But, ah! like a poor prisoner bound, My string confines me near the ground.. ..". Filled with pride on how high the Kite was flying, he felt that he could soar even higher were he not tied to and constrained by the string and the one who held the string.  After tugging and pulling, the kite broke free. However, he realized he could not fly without the string, and he plunged into the tide.  What a great illustration of how our pride, and lack of humility, can result in our own demise. How often have we been proud of our "own" achiev...

  DISCUSSION: Do you realize that almost all the original apostles were killed? We think that being close to God will keep the evils of this world away. God is always with us. He will not give us more than we can handle. Please realize there is a better place for us and evil abounds in this world. God did not promise us peace on earth. He promised us a home in heaven.