Sobering Realities

“Humility is the only soil where grace can take root; the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure. Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone assumes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do all.” –Andrew Murray

“There is tremendous relief in knowing that His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion Him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.” –J.I. Packer

These quotes represent some of what I’ve been learning recently. I just finished reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer and another book called Humility by Andrew Murray. They are two phenomenal perspectives on the character of God as it relates to humankind. I also listened to the sermon John Piper gave at my church last Sunday...all to say, it's been a rich, but intense time of learning. Much sin exposure, resulting in much humility! As hard as I put forth effort to treasure Christ above all (Phil. 3:7-11), as hard I fail to do so. My heart resonates with Paul in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” It has dawned on me that a humbling of my soul to the point of possessing nothing (poverty of spirit) is the only hope I have for true change and acceptance of God's magnificent grace. Still, I need the gospel preached to me everyday.

I find it hard to let go of my striving to become a more qualified servant. My efforts to change are so sincere, yet futile and frustrating at best. He is the only one who has the transforming power to effect change in my life. In fact, He wills to do so. I understand so little of His unconditional love; It baffles me to think how unlovely I feel with only a small portion of my sin exposed. Imagine the sight from His perspective; He knows all from beginning to end. He reached out to me in the stark knowledge of all the wickedness about me and chose to love me with the promise of making me like His son.

The increasing exposure of my sin is sobering me to the fact that I have absolutely nothing to offer Him apart from the grace that He bestows. It is as true as it was when He first ripped me out of darkness. This humbling of my soul is my hope for change! The point at which He exposes sin in our lives, is the point which we can more fully grasp the concept of His love! As dirty and unworthy as we are, He loves us because of Christ's humility, manifested in obedience, through His death on the cross (Phil. 2:4-8).

Ephesians 2:4 says it best: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved...and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.”

There is so much more to say, but my hope is that these words will serve to encourage you with the hope that His plan is so much bigger than ours. Romans 8:28-30 shares His heart to work all things for good in our lives for the greater purpose of conforming us to Christ! He is the author and perfector of our faith and only in Him can we find acceptance and hope for change!


Now “Man’s chief care, his highest virtue, his only happiness, now and throughout eternity, is to present himself as an empty vessel in which God can dwell and manifest His power and goodness.” –Andrew Murray