February 13, 2018

(Reading time: two minutes.  Maybe less.  Lent starts tomorrow!)

It’s a very humbling season.  The Lord of glory is crowned as King; the King of the cross.  The humiliation of the Son of God from heaven reaches it’s peak in His passion and death.  Any who contemplate the story of what Jesus endured in our stead is humbled by His sacrifice.

As we should be.  We’re at our best when we’ve been humbled.  As you enter into this holy season, allow me to share just two (brief) thoughts on humility and the spiritual life of Christian leaders.

The first has to do with our own spiritual nurture through time in the Word of God.It’s one of the paradoxes of the faith that the Word of God, which lifts and builds and fills us, does so by making us small.  As the Lenten journey is a journey from death to life, so it is with the ongoing work of the Spirit through the Word.

Any passage of scripture contains elements of the greatness of God and the smallness of sinful human beings.  Consideration of the Psalms in particular is a reflection on God’s perfect beauty and immeasurable strength, and also a reflection on my own weakness before Him.

That’s a good place to be, because the message of the gospel of Christ is the promise of His beautiful and immeasurably powerful love for a sinner like me.

I pray that this season will be for you a time of deep meditation and prayerful reflection on the Word of God.  Carve out time to be blessed by God during these hectic days as He tenderly humbles you and then lifts you to the heights of the heavenly places in His love.

Second, this is a time to serve God’s own precious lambs as we provide care and nurture in this season of the cross.  That we should be considered worthy of bearing the great good news of a Savior who gave all for us, that we stand in line with the prophets, apostles and martyrs, that God would deem us worthy to bear His greatest treasure to a dying world is truly humbling.

When the fatigue of extra responsibilities bears down, pause for a moment.  Consider how the Lord is building you up by wearing you down, making you a giant of the faith by making you dependent upon Him.

That’s true humility, and it’s a gift from God who knows that what you need in this important season is less of you and more of Him.

You are in my prayers every day.  May God make you beautiful and powerful, a reflection of His own character, as He humbles you in your service this Lent.

Thanks for reading.

A Congregational Wellness Weekend is designed to help create a ministry environment at your church or school where professional church workers can thrive and serve joyfully in their calling at top capacity. Let’s start the conversation today! Find more information on our website or contact Program Director Darrell Zimmerman to learn more.