Humility

An elderly minister who survived the great Johnstown Flood of 1889 loved to regale audiences with tales of that harrowing event. When he died and went to heaven, he found himself in a meeting of saints who were sharing their life experiences. He took St. Peter aside and asked if he could tell about surviving the Johnstown Flood. Peter hesitated, then said, "Well, you can tell your story, but just keep in mind that Brother Noah will be in the audience."

David Jeremiah writes: "There is something in our human flesh that loves to tempt us to talk about ourselves -- how big, tall, great, smart, wealthy, or wise we are. Even how humble we are! But God has his ways of helping us learn that we're not quite what we would like others to believe. In fact, to prompt a little humility in us, He tells us that all our great deeds ‘are like filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6). It's not that God doesn't want us to be lifted up. It's just that He wants to exalt us His way, not the world's way. He wants us to see that our greatness is because of Christ's greatness, not because of ours.

"Next time you're tempted to talk about yourself, look around the room and see who God might have in the audience." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 10-17-07)