Scripture
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14

Observation
On Friday my sister-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer. On Saturday my son-in-law observed his 10th anniversary of becoming a quadriplegic. Yet my sister-in-law is anticipating heaven. My son-in-law told me that January 15, 2000 was the best day of his life for because of his accident he became a better, kinder person. Everything is better than I deserve.

What does humility look like from God’s point of view? As God looks down from heaven and sees a fully grown man laying on the carpet laying down all of his abilities what does he see? When a woman cries out to the Lord in the middle of rush hour traffic at high decibels, what does he feel? When we give way, let others by us or to run over us, when we let others get the praise that is due us and aim the spotlight on others rather than ourselves, how does the Lord feel?

Attracted.

God loves humble people because he is humble at heart. We serve a God who picked losers to score his wins, who entered the world in a feed trough, died among thieves, and never once while on this earth said, “Do you know just who I am?” God loves the humble because they are most like him and draw out of him his very best.

In this chapter of Luke 18, Jesus first gave the humility principle and then showed how it applied. In the next verses he blessed children by stopping his schedule just for that. That violated cultural norms. Next a wealthy man came wanting advice about eternal life. Every Jew that that wealth was the penultimate sign of God’s favor. If anyone was acceptable to God it was the rich. But Jesus upended that fallacy. That is why Peter was so stunned, “Who then can be saved?” His worldview was turned upside down. Children were going to the front of the line and rich men to the back. Peter was just beginning to understand the great inversion of the kingdom. Blessed are those who understand it and live in it today for they will be greatly blessed tomorrow.

Humility is not less it is always more! The world sees a person laid low and pities them for being unable to reach the good things on the top rung. But the humble person knows that water always seeks the lowest level and that God’s presence is thickest on the valley floor.

Application
I need to drain every drop of resentment out of humility that comes because I feel that somehow I am missing out or should have something back. “Everything is better than I deserve.”

Prayer
Meet me at the bottom Lord and take me to the top.