Topic: Humility, custodian of Spiritual authority
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 4-6; Luke 9: 28-62
Memory Verse: “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:56 (KJV)
Humility is defined as consisting in lowliness of mind, a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abatement, penitence for sin and submission to the divine will. It is a virtue of a true child of God. It should always reflect in the behaviour of a true disciple of Christ as it is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). God abases everyone that exalts himself and exalts those who humble themselves. ( Luke 18:14).
In Daniel 4; God gave Nebuchadnezzar power and he was in charge of the whole empire then. But the power made him full of himself such that he looked at the kingdoms some day and “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” Daniel 4:30 (KJV). Instantly, God turned him to an oxen who ate grass in the bush with other animals until he repented and gave glory to God before he was restored to human being and even his kingdom was restored to him! On the other hand God expects His disciples to exercise restraint even when provoked and the Lord Jesus gave us example of this. In Luke 9:51-59., when he sent messengers to a village of Samaritans to make a room ready for Him but they refused to allow Him, when James and John saw this, they asked Jesus for authority to call down fire to consume them. “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. [56] For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:55-56 (KJV).
Similarly, if God invested you with power or authority, know that a condition precedent to the continuous power to exercise that authority is your humility. God expects you to use such authority for the good of men and not to boost your ego or enrich yourself in any form. That is why Jesus was always looking for ways to enhance the goodness of human lives and not to destroy it.
What are you doing with the power you possess at home, in the office, in church, in social area? will you say you have impacted lives positively with it or have you destroyed it instead?
Action point: Use the authority given you positively at all times for the improvement of lives of people around you.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero