God Resists the Proud, Gives Grace to the Humble

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” 

James 4:6-8

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After months of doing well, I am experiencing a temporary setback. Humbled by muscle weakness, PTSD from childhood and clinical depression, some days, like today, I find it hard to get my bearings. In fact, everything seems difficult: breathing, swallowing medication and some foods, walking, talking with garbled speech. On those days, for me, joy in the Lord fades a bit, personal pride feels bruised, days seem bleak and the Lord seems ever so far away. Sometimes I wonder if God allows this condition to keep me humble. It is not unusual on such days for me to pray for an ‘Attitude Adjustment’…and soon, by the grace of God, it arrives, often by the third day!

As a believing Christian, I am often reminded during these times of this encouraging Bible passage:

 “…For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7  

For when we walk by faith, rather than by sight, we are no longer subject to the whims and ways of this world. Pride, greed, lust, being self-made, unwarranted competitiveness, getting ahead of others, keeping up with the Jones’, success at all costs, and quick fixes for life’s problems, amoung other things that get in the way of a grateful heart betrothed to Jesus.

The great temptation is to think at such times that Jesus is no longer with me, and it is a significant temptation for me to throw in the proverbial towel, and give up. Yet experience tells me that is not the best or right option. Could it be that giving up while in the throes of a ‘depression temptation’ is exactly what The Enemy desires to happen???                                         

Well, I say…Not on my watch!!!

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.⁷ So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”James 4:6-8

Worldly Ambitions vs. Godly Aspirations

Worldy ambitions call us to enhance our mind with ego-driven thoughts and intellect; while Godly Aspirations call us to grow in heartfelt love and deeper compassion for others.

The ways of this world promote dependence on one’s self, while God’s way beckons us to give it all over to Him. Every grief, every hurt, every failure, every loss laid at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.

This world celebrates pride in health & fitness, beauty, riches and professional accomplishments, that is, your value is driven by appearances and what you do. Of course these things are not inherently bad, they just should be balanced to make room for God’s ways, and put Him above all.

The Holy Bible, however, teaches us to focus more fully on the 9 Fruits of the [Holy] Spirit: Love, joy, peace, compassion, kindness, faithfulness, patience, persistence, and constancy. And the cyclical nature of these 9 gifts is indisputable…The more you pray and invite the Holy Spirit into your heart, the more you experience God’s presence in your life as evidenced by the presence of these “fruit.” In the latter, what you are in the eyes of God matters most.

This world focuses on survival of the fittest, while Jesus’ Beatitudes’ clarion call to Christians is clear: “Blessed are the meek.”

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The Sermon on the Mount. “^1 aWhen he saw the crowds,^[b] he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. ² He began to teach them, saying:”

The Beatitudes^[c]

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
⁶ Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,^[g]
    for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                                                                                                                                           ¹¹ Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.                                                        

^12 jRejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5: 1-12  [New American Bible]

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Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2016                                                                                 www.theinspirationcafe.net

The Caretaker Generation

             “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.                 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”      Matthew 11:28-30

I have a very dear friend named Nancy, who is extremely busy and is presently struggling. Like so many women, at 58, she has run the gamut in her adult lifetime from raising her children as a working single parent, to caring for her 87 year old mother who is now on hospice at home. And of course that also includes looking after her 88 year old Dad, as well. The doctors say her mom's prognosis is about a month, but in the meantime Nancy and her family are trying their best to stay positive and keep her as comfortable as is humanly possible.

For Nancy, and so many other women in the "Sandwich Generation," being ever available, so "on" for loved ones over the years that it has left her feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, weary, and frankly, somewhat cynical at times as she often asks at the end of her hectic days:

"Is this all there is to life? Is there more to life than care-taking for the generations???" 

Life is full of opportunities. Opportunities to choose your purpose, opportunities to pray, opportunities to love and be loved, opportunities to stand with Jesus or walk away...Yet, we always need to remember everyone has choices and purpose(s) in life. In fact, a blessed life often entails a series of God-given purposes throughout one's life.

Sometimes I find that my first purpose is serving God through family, other times my purpose involves completing a task or project and /or helping people through my chaplaincy. I consider serving God with all my being as my primary purpose in this life, and at the present time, my secondary purpose seems less altruistic than other times in my life...

Squarely focused on improving my personal wellness to regain muscle strength and good health after decades of living with disability and infirmity. In this purpose, I am fully dependent on Jesus for all my needs ~ fortitude, patience and strength. As I pray throughout the day, and am getting stronger by the day, I am growing in gratitude to Jesus for the signs of healing great and small that He is bringing, and in that way, prayer does not disappoint. Actually, I am growing in gratitude as my prayers are answered in due time as only God can.

Regardless of what your chosen purpose is at any given time, ongoing gratitude to God is essential for a peace-filled and joy-filled life. Gratitude to God is so important that it can even be the deciding factor in how you decide your purpose. It also allows you to put aside all negativity to embrace Jesus and your subsequent purpose with fervor and open arms. Clearly, some jobs/tasks are easier to accomplish than others. Sitting at the bedside of a loved one can be most difficult, as can three decades of care-giving while caring for a growing family. However, one who embraces each God given purpose prayerfully will find the work load lightened and enabling one to accomplish each purpose with greater ease, regardless of what must be done.

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  /  NABRE Version
There is an appointed time for every affair under the heavens.
2 A time  give birth, and a time to die;
    a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal;
    a time to tear down, and a time to build.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
    a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
    a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
6 A time to seek, and a time to lose;
    a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew;
    a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate;
    a time of war, and a time of peace.

Adele M. Gill  |   2016 Copyright