A Prayer for a Humble and Gentle Spirit
By Gwen Smith
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
In her book Love Story, songwriter and author Nichole Nordeman puts it this way. “Jesus sort of topples the model of traditional leadership. He starts at the bottom. First things first. Let's get those feet washed. This is how Jesus leads. And it’s why marriages and corporations and ministries thrive under his model of servant leadership. Stooping, not looming. Tending, not monitoring.”
I know this.
I really do.
I want this.
I want this for me, and I want this for my family. I want this for you. I want to live this type of radical life that showcases Jesus and pushes His fame to the forefront. Not only on the good days, but also on the bad days. Not only in the comfortable times, but also in the uncomfortable, fiery times. Don’t you?
I am thankful that God convicts my heart when I get bossy, start comparing, running ahead of God, or getting caught up in self-centered pursuits. His Spirit reminds me that my flesh needs to be put down because I am bound to Christ and He is my master. The Spirit of God reminds me that I am not to live as a slave to sin, but to live as a slave to righteousness (Romans 5).
When Jesus becomes our focus, we will be in the center of God’s will for us.
Today, for me, this probably means I will do more praying than social media posting or news watching. And it also means that when that certain mom bends my ear about the awesome accomplishments of her darling daughter, I will smile, share in her joy, and not respond with, “Well, my daughter just...”
Things go better for me when I choose humility, make a big deal about God’s greatness, and follow His lead by lovingly serving the people in my life. When I live by the instructions that Paul gave to the church of Ephesus, Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
My peace is greater when I look to the needs of others instead of my own, when I humble myself before our awesome Lord and beg for Him to be magnified in my words, thoughts, efforts, and decisions.
Jesus is the line leader.
I am just a girl in line who needs to keep her eyes fixed on the Guy up front.
Let’s Pray
Lord Jesus, Please lead me. Take the wheel. Take the whole car! Take my life. No more pushing to the front of the line for me. I want You, Jesus. I want more of You.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Girlfriends in God devotional, “Jesus Take the Whole Car,” written by Gwen Smith. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Sunday, 22 March 2020.
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