The Meek Squad

The Meek Squad encourages everyone (ourselves included) to stay on the humble path. This blog is where we will share many of our industry secrets that are crucial for successful pride prevention.

This week I want us to work on making “footprints”. This may take a little more time, but I believe it will be well worth it. We will begin by simply writing out what we hope will happen in the next few moments.

Again, it is important because the words you choose to write down force your thoughts to get specific enough to be summed up by certain words… Do you want God to direct you or give you insight? Do you want wisdom? Do you need forgiveness? Do you need faith? Just write down a brief prayer, one or two sentences, and ask for God to be with you right now.

2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As you read through these passages, just allow God to show you what your are diligently adding to your faith. You began by placing your faith in Christ. Now, He says add moral excellence… How are you doing? Maybe you need to stop their and allow God to search your heart regarding the way you live.

Are there areas that need to be sharpened? Are there areas where you have allowed integrity to slide?

Write those things down and ask God to give you strength to add this first thing to your life. Use your pen and paper to do a little life assessment regarding knowledge, self-control, godliness, etc.

Finish this morning by trying to get one thought as to how God wants you to live from here. What would it look like for you to be diligent? How might adding self-control shape your day?

Lord, I ask for you to penetrate my heart. Give me patience not to rush this process. In fact, this whole thing is an act of faith, because I am not sure what to expect from this. But I will move through this and I look forward to seeing how you are forming me into the person you have created me to be. Amen.

I want to close this week with a thought about faith. How do you know when you have it? How does it become real? I am afraid that more often than not, we hope God will give us what we want when we want it. This is not the way works. He is trying to shift your what you value—He is helping us to treasure greater things. Let’s look:

1 Peter 1:3-7
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Notice the language in the first 3 verses. Great mercy—new birth—living hope—these are what we’ve been given in Christ. Our hope towards what will one day be everything we need. It requires faith to believe this. We are shielded as in watched over and held onto until our salvation is fulfilled. This only happens in one of two ways. Either Jesus returns or we stop breathing.

But the hope lies even beyond that! This is wonderful news. But now comes the sobering news. Look at verse 6 & 7. What is it that proves our faith to be real? What causes our faith to bring glory and honor and praise to Christ? It is endurance. It is REMAINING even when it doesn’t feel right.

The reason is not to prove it to us as though we are doubting that. But to prove in a way that reveals our faith to be the most precious thing we have. This is not an exaggeration, but precisely a Biblical truth. “So that your faith-of greater worth than gold.”

So how does this help us? Remain. Remain. Remain. If a man remains in me—I will remain in him. This is a reality of Christ. This will prove to be more precious, so remain. Rejoice. Remain and rejoice. There you go…

Lord, this can sound so trite when life can be so hard. Shift my values so I focus as much on building my faith as I do my wealth. Continue to cause my faith to be a reality and I will endure whatever you call me to… because this is my living hope and my eternal life. I will trust you in that. Amen.

Psalm 138:4-8
4    All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar.
7    Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Humility begins with seeing God. God is worthy to receive the gratitude of kings and to be the object of our songs. He is great and worthy. And so we set our eyes on Him as we humble ourselves before Him.

In verse 6, we see the heart of God. Those who are humbled before Him; He regards. He considers and His heart is moved. God responds to the humble- with grace. However, the haughty remain at a distance.

This is one of the first things we should check when God seems distant. When God seems far, we stiffen up and demand to know where He is. But our posture is what moves God…

Our humility, He regards. Our pride puts distance between God and us.

Our prideful position leaves us on our own. God is active- He is just actively opposed to us. So we see Him and are drawn by His greatness and He is drawn by our humility.

James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

This passage speaks of the stability that accompanies humility. We are free from grasping for control and demanding that our lives work as they should. Instead, we are positioned under His promise to revive and save.

And He will accomplish all that concerns me. What a great way to live!

Lord, I draw near. I come to Your presence to see You and marvel. Give me eyes to see You throughout my day. When I sense distance, let me respond with humility. Help me to trust You to accomplish everything that concerns me. Amen.