The Search for Humility

ESV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

NLT 

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

In this episode we learn about Season 3 - "The Fight for Humility".

ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

 The Message

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

In this episode, we will preview Season 2 - The Dangers of Pride.

ESV

Two things I ask of you;
     deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
     give me neither poverty nor riches;
     feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
     and say, “Who is the Lord?”
 or lest I be poor and steal
     and profane the name of my God.

The Message

And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things
     before I die; don’t refuse me—
 Banish lies from my lips
     and liars from my presence.
 Give me enough food to live on,
     neither too much nor too little.
 If I’m too full, I might get independent,
     saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’
 If I’m poor, I might steal
     and dishonor the name of my God.”

ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

The Message

First pride, then the crash—
     the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

It’s better to live humbly among the poor
     than to live it up among the rich and famous.

ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

The Message

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.

ESV

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

The Message

The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
     whose ways I hate with a passion—
     pride and arrogance and crooked talk.

ESV

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

The Message

Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
     wise people take advice.

ESV

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

The Message

And that’s why I’m singing—I, Nebuchadnezzar—singing and praising the King of Heaven:

“Everything he does is right,
     and he does it the right way.
 He knows how to turn a proud person
     into a humble man or woman.”