The Better Way to Walk
Goodness gracious, friend, come on up and make yourself real comfortable. If you were any more welcome, I’d have to be shooin’ a curious ol’ goat away from sniffin ‘around your ankles and hush that chattering’ lil’ ol’ squirrel that keeps on fussin’ from the big oak tree over yonder like it plum owns the place. This ol’ front porch has seen everything from a silly lil’ ol’ Banty rooster that tried to be crowin’ with a mouthful of corn to a nosey lil’ ol’ deer that keeps slippin’ up here and thinks my flowerpots are a buffet, so you fit right in here real good. Settle yourself in for a spell because we’re about to let God’s Word stretch across our hearts like sunlight slippin’ through the pines after a long night.
Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Humility is sho’-nuff’ one of them things that plum sounds mighty simple until you actually try it. Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” That’s not exactly the kind of verse you stitch on a pillowcase unless you enjoy bein’ reminded that pride can knock you flat faster than a lil’ ol’ rooster that gets way too big for its britches. Paul adds in Romans 12:10, “We ought to prefer others above ourselves.” That there’s a tall order for folks like us who sometimes struggle to share a biscuit much less our own comfort.
There’s a heap of confusion about love these days because we use the same “love” word for everything. We say we love our family, we love coconut pie, and we love that stubborn ol’ hound dog that keeps right on diggin’ holes in the yard. Clearly, those are not the same kinds of love. God’s love, AGAPE love, is the kind that seeks the good of others even when we don’t feel a lick of affection for ‘em. Jesus showed that love on the cross. He didn’t feel like dyin’, but He chose our betterment over His Own comfort. That is AGAPE love, for sure.
And, friend, Philippians 2:3 tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition but in humility to consider others better than ourselves.” That there verse fits this theme of “love” like a glove. It reminds us that real love just ain’t about havin’ warm feelings. It’s plum about choosin’ someone else’s good even when our own feelin’s are actin’ like a cranky ol’ mule that refuses to even budge.
If we serve with the hope of being exalted, we’ve downright missed the whole point. Jesus calls us to have a servant’s heart that gives joyfully, sacrifices willingly, and loves deeply. When we choose humility, strife dries up faster than a mud puddle in August. And the world sees a kind of Christianity that shines a whole lot brighter than a glowin’ lantern on a dark trail.
Father, teach me to walk humbly with You. Help me love others with Your AGAPE love and serve with a willing heart. Remove pride from me and fill me with mercy, compassion, and joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Well, I do declare, friend, before you git to headin’ on toward whatever the good Lord has lined up next, you’ve gotta be lettin’ humility settle right on into your spirit the way a gentle rain settles into dry soil. You’ve gotta be lettin’ love stretch right on across your thoughts like a wide pasture that rolls on farther than your eyes can follow. You’ve gotta be lettin’ willingness stand real firm inside you like a sturdy ol’ oak tree that plum refuses to topple over even when the wind blows hard and fusses long. And you’ve gotta be lettin’ joy git to risin’ up in you like a bright creek that keeps on chatterin’ over stones no matter what tries to quiet it down. So, carry that servant’s heart with you. The Lord delights in turnin’ real simple acts of kindness into great blessin’s that travel farther than any of us can ever git to imaginin’.
With joy,
Gwen
