How Humble are you?

HELLO BEAUTIFUL LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And of course you Handsome men who may be reading this)

I hope that everyone is surviving the polar vortex that seems to be consuming our lives. With weather like this, it is so easy to complain and see the negative side of things. I see this polar vortex as a blessing. I am more focused on my schoolwork, non-profit, and of course building my relationship with God. I am also blessed to live with an amazing friend that keeps me entertained everyday. I may get more work done if I wasn't so distracted, but its all amazing here in the office.

Do me a favor. Take a moment and think of five things you are blessed with. For example, I am blessed to be breathing, have a heater at my feet, food in the fridge, and my bible in front of me. Next, challenge yourself. Everyday write down five things you are blessed. I have been doing this for a while and it has got to the point where I just have to thank God for being awesome. I don't have time to list all of the things I am blessed with. I am thankful for every little thing in my life. I thank God that you are in my life. You are one of my biggest blessings.

Let's flip gears here. I would like to focus this post to James 1: 9-10.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation-since they will pass away like a wild flower.
                                              James 1: 9-10

Before we go diving into this passage, take a second and think about the people in your life. Rank them based on their wealth. Now look at the person who is the "poorest" versus the person who is the "richest." How humble are each person? Now if my experiment worked, I would hope you had said the "poorest" was more humble.

Now lets look at this passage in  more simple understanding.

Christians who experience poverty are to take pride in their high positions as believers. Wealthy believers, on the other hand, should take pride not in their possessions but in the fact that God has humbled them and given them a godly value system, so that they now realize how transitory life and wealth are.

 Here is my take on this passage. God likes a humble person. Poverty is thought to be a humbling experience. I know when I lived in southern Africa, I became so humbled. It broke my heart to see some of the situations that people were living in. However, they were so happy. I will never forget playing soccer with some of the children in a shanty town. Even though we didn't speak the same language, wore different clothes, and had different background, the children were excited to be playing soccer with me. We didn't have a soccer ball. It was a ball made of rubber bands, paper, and I think jeans. These children seemed to not have a care in the world. One mom thanked me for spending the time with the children. They absolutely loved it. I don't think many American children would be willing to do something like that.

Okay, back on track. God likes a humble person. He states that a humble believer should take pride in his/her positions. I am not saying go out and give all of your possession away and sell your house. But how would you react if your house was on fire? What would you grab? For me I might be like "OOOOOOOO NOOOOOO" and run for my worldly possessions. Things like pictures and my bible. After that I would worry about anyone who may have been in the house. I honestly would not be sad if my house was to burn down. It is just a materialistic item.

I would classify myself as "wealthy." I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge, a university education,  family that love me, and friends who support me. God says that the wealthy should not take the pride in the possesions that they have. In fact, we should be HUMBLE for the greatness that we have. In a matter of a blink of an eye all of that could be gone. Remember how I said that if I lost everything, I would be okay with it.

Think of it this way. Have you ever seen a trailer being pulled behind a hurse? I haven't. Things don't matter. God matters, Love matters. Those of us who have been blessed with wealth (of any kind) are, as my pastor says, managers for God. God only ask that we be good managers. So remember this, when you are complaining about it being cold outside, be blessed to have a heater, a blanket, tv, and facebook. Open your home to a friend, pay for a strangers meal, wave to someone you don't know. Show some love. You never know where it may lead you.