Recovery Christian Center Daily Meditation - 3/29/12 - Humility is Vital

"Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 NLT

It was once said that humility is the fuel for the engine that is Christian recovery. It is so vitally important to any Christian that one would ask if you have no humility are you even saved? It is especially true for addicted folks because our bondage was rooted in ego and total self centeredness. In the beginning of our recovery and walk with Christ it isn't hard to find humility because of our circumstances. As our circumstances improve, it can be tempting for some to forget where they came from and allow the old ego to begin to take back over. We can become intolerant and judgmental just like the Pharisee in the text as if somehow we are better than someone else because God has granted us grace and mercy. The lack of humility will set us up for failure. However, if we maintain the humility of the tax collector and begin to realize that our recovery and our salvation comes from God and we didn't do anything to deserve it, we will be in a much better position to be used by God. Humility is the key to unlocking who God whats us to be.