Humility 101

It's very humbling when God uses your children to teach you a lesson. It seems I have been learning many of those lately. I spend my days trying to get across to the kids that "it's not all about you." "Be a servant." "Stop being so inconvenienced with everyone. Make sure you are not being easily provoked. Be long suffering. Have patience with each other. You mustn't demand your way, in your time." These are pretty common phrases spoken, by me, in our home. These need to be spoken, but more importantly, they need and must be modeled. How many times a day do I get "inconvenienced" or demand my way? Let's see.......when the traffic is not moving as I think it should - when someone pulls out in front of me and then drives slowly - when the dog needs to go out, and I'm the only one that notices - when I'm ready to sit and relax but have a sink full of dishes to do. Who am I to get irritated? I spend my day teaching my children to live their lives for Christ and respond with love no matter the circumstances, but then fail to show them what it looks like. You see, my children may never hear my words, but I know they will see my actions. That's why a child's mannerisms are so much like their parents; they mimic. The mimicking becomes habit, and the habit becomes ingrained as part of their character. I keep learning, time and time again; the most effective teacher is one that teaches by example. Jesus lived this example, perfectly, for us to see. "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:3-8