Luke 18:13-14

“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” vs. 13

Above all else Jesus expected his followers to exhibit a spirit of humility, a quality that should not be at all difficult if we have the slightest sense of self-awareness. For even a cursory honest look at our own hearts will surely evoke the words of the tax collector, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Since that’s the case, it’s truly amazing to discover how many truly arrogant people inhabit our planet. Everywhere we look we see them, men and women full of themselves in a perpetual campaign of self-promotion designed to bring wealth, power, and privilege. They have a sense of entitlement that knows no boundaries and crave the admiration of the masses. External appearances are their highest value and they have little regard for the plain or ordinary. When they make a mistake or are caught in error, excuses and denials abound; never will there be an admission of guilt or an honest confession of sin. The good news is that humble folks also abound in our world…in far greater numbers than the arrogant. These are the folks with whom we can relax and be ourselves, sinful friends and neighbors totally dependent on a merciful God who will accept us as we are. Among such as these we can follow the example of Jesus and lose ourselves in loving service.

Thought for the Day: How obvious is the spirit of humility in me?