God seeks our lowliness. He desires it — earnestly wanting it for us. Not because He is a God who wishes to crush us or takes pleasure in our unhappiness, no it is for the exact opposite. Because of His great love for us, He desires our lowliness.
Becoming Like a Child
Another way of saying it: to be like a child is His great desire for His followers — to be freed from ourself so we can give of ourself, to be rid of props that keep us self-sufficient, to be innocently accepting, gracious and loving towards others.
Lowliness slices into the petty things we think we need or think we must have to be happy, so we may receive from His abundant hand. A lowly person has nothing to prove, nothing to protect.
Lowliness is freedom.
But how is lowliness produced? Transforming invitations come. Life is filled with them, invitations for becoming — becoming like a child.
Transforming Invitations
So what do I do when confronted with my defensiveness, and need to prop myself up with an excuse?
When offended (or offending) how easily do I enter into forgiveness?
When the world is in chaos, who do I trust?
Reduction for our Good
God will bring transforming invitations into my life to reduce me to being like a child.
Reduction is the aim.
He must increase. I must decrease. This is lowliness. This is when we are truly free, truly secure– like a child held in His hand.
Lowliness is Sweet
A bud of a flower is rather small for what it holds inside. But soon it radiates beauty and a sweet aroma out of it’s simple bud.
On the surface it might seem like lowliness stinks. It doesn’t though. Pride stinks. Lowliness is sweet.
Overflow: allowing God’s ways to touch our lives and then our lives to pour out to others
- To see more clearly we must take time out from distractions. We are often nearsighted and distracted by many worries right before us.
- To hear others, really hear, we must have quiet times to learn to listen. This takes pausing.
- For reading: “Letting Go” or “Humilty” on the Favorite Reads list.
