Humble Crown
This thought is a bit of an oxymoron. People who wear a crown are not usually humble. People who wear a crown are often in a place of power. Homecoming queens wear a crown of popularity. Humility and power are not usually friends. Occasionally, there is a leader with great power and authority who is also humble. The Lord demonstrates this humility all the time. He has the power to punish and destroy, but He builds and restores. I don’t deserve restoration, but He is so patient and sees something in me that I can’t even see myself. The Psalmist is in a place of praise and instruction. Check this out….
1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.
2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing,
accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord delights in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.(Psalm 149:1-5 NLT)
Daniel was a consistent follower of God who was exalted by God because of his humility. Check this out…
Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. (Daniel 10:12 NLT)
James also gives similar instructions in his epistle in the New Testament. Check this out….
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4:10 NLT)
Self-humility really sets the scene for the Lord to do some amazing work in our lives. Our pride often blocks the blessings that the Lord has for us. Self-humility is a “cousin” of self-discipline. It is sometime hard to discipline ourselves here in the richest land where so many self-serving options are available. Self-humility is counter-cultural for sure. I’m not being humble to get a crown. I should work hard on humility because the Lord calls me to humility. I am nothing without Him. I believe a key characteristic for a great leader is humility. Confidence doesn’t eradicate humility, I think it reinforces it. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance, but there is a difference. I am confident in my faith, but to become arrogant about my faith would do more harm than good. I walk in confident humility that the Lord is ultimately in control of my life and my journey here on earth.
Pressing On!
Dwayne