Humility: Powered by ??

Here's something I've been meditating on these past 3 days: What powers humility?

Now I know the Holy Ghost supernaturally enables us to be humble. But what keeps a person humble & ready to serve without constantly feeling like a doormat or a stepping stone to another's success. As an artist, I find myself trying to guard against people who want to attach themselves to me in order to access something that they think I have that may be of use to them. Run-on sentence? Probably. But I'm blogging from my phone & it's late...and it's my blog so I can do that lol! So as I was saying...as an artist I can be somewhat suspect of people. It's also true for anyone doing anything that they want to succeed in. Deep down inside we want to make it! We want to have the dream job: doing what you love & getting paid for it. And if something or someone jeopardizes that dream, we manipulate & lie & do whatever we have to do because that someone may get there in place of us. It kind of reminds me of the story in the bible where this mom comes up to Jesus & asks Him if her sons can have a place on His right & left. If that wasn't manipulation & a prayer with wrong motives then I don't know what is. So how did Jesus stay so humble? Especially when there were Pharisees, Saducees & everyone else purposefully trying to outshine him?

Check these verses out:
John 13:3-5
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, & laid aside his garments; and took a towel and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, & began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

We know that washing someone's feet is one of the most humbling acts we know of. It was especially humbling given the context of the day. How could Jesus do that? Looking at verse 3, I see 3 things: Jesus knew his level of authority, he knew his origin & he knew his destiny. Jesus was fully settled in his mind on these issues.

I think the reason we strive so hard to accomplish more & do better than the next person (and lose our humility in the process) is because we are not fully established in these 3 areas. We don't know the authority we walk in. We haven't settled in our hearts that who we are and what we're doing did originate with God & not with us. We don't know where we're going. We're out here & we have one goal: success. Funny thing is if we don't know what God's success for our life looks like, then how will we know when we've reached it? We've only got one option: chasing someone else's success. And with that selfish ambition comes manipulation, strife, envy, quarells etc.

My brother, my sister! Rest in knowing that God has given you authority. Seek God & ask him if who you are & what you are pursuing started with Him or with you. Then ask the Lord, "Where do I go from here?" "What would you have me do?" Whatever He says, be content with that. I'm learning contentment even now. God is closing doors & opening others. They're not the doors that I was hoping would catapult the ministry. They're wilderness doors. (I'll explain later.) He's cutting relationships & bringing new ones. He's helping me focus on the mission field in front of me when I want to travel & minister to every state & country all at the same time. He's building more character. At times like these I need to remember: God has given me a level of authority. I must steward it well. I didn't start this music thing. GOD DID. I know why I'm in this music thing to start with. I have a specific assignment from God & he has told me that He will make sure it happens. When I settle on these things, I can SERVE IN HUMILITY without feeling inferior to my brothers or sisters. They may treat me like a doormat or a stepping stone because they are not grounded in these truths. (If a person's not rooted in these, they will swell with pride...for no reason.) That should not sway me though. I'm gonna stay humble because I know who I am & where I'm going. And I only want to be what Jesus wants me to be. Nothing more, nothing less.

Jarrell