“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.” - Last week of classes, finals in two weeks... no stressing Lord just RENEW ME.

This is the last week of classes before finals week, I have end of the section exams I should be studying for, but my Bible just kept calling to me.

After tossing threw a few pages the Lord brought me to Proverbs 18.

Specifically verse 12, it says:

“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.”

The word “haughty” stuck out the most to me - googling it produced such results as:

• disdainful: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
• haughtiness - arrogance: overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors,The state or property of being haughty; arrogance, snobbery
• Conveying in demeanor the assumption of superiority; disdainful, supercilious

I couldn’t help but think about how often our society feeds us the exact opposite advice. How often do you hear songs on the radio, or TV shows encouraging you to be proud, to always just assume that you are better than anything anyone might have to say to you? 

“I'm So Fly ah ah ah flyyyyy”                              "I'm Too Sexy"  

Is this what Jesus would do? Is this what God wants us to do? Is this not what this old proverb is warning us of? 

But we must have a balance,  we can’t just let people walk all over us. Where can we find that confidence to be strong in our faith and who we are and at the same time not be totally consumed and haughty? 

Simply put, Only In JESUS.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul writes “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 

Now He says “Imitate me” but the point is that we are called to imitate Christ, or in other words try to do as He did. To walk in forgiveness and in Love. To walk the  path that God has for us, with great faith knowing that in all righteous things His grace abounds. 

Sometimes imitating Christ calls for us to let go of some things so that we can have room for God to add on to us. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” As followers of Christ we know that our the Lord is our Rock, and our strong tower, he’s also our lighthouse showing us the way to the shore in this sea of uncertainty. 

But it takes a humble person, it takes someone who can admit that they don’t know everything, it takes someone who is truly searching to humble themselves and ask God, 

 “Is there anything in ME that is keeping me from YOU?” 

“Transform me into what YOU have called me to be.”

Which brings me to the last part of the proverb.... “And before honor is humility.”

This week my prayer is that the Lord will change my heart, show me how I can live with humility in service to the Father, just as Jesus did... I hope you also “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” 

R. Calloway 

Be blessed brothers and sisters, and as always... be a blessing. 

“Change my heart Lord, take me as I am, and show me your love...”