8 Scriptural Ways to Pursue Humility

Hey humility, come out, come out wherever you are!

Last month, I shared 7 Biblical Promises for Walking in Humility. Then my blogger friend, Mandy Farmer, invited me to write a guest post on how Christians pursue humility as a spiritual discipline.

Since we already discussed the biblical promises we receive for walking in humility, let’s discuss how we actually pursue it.

Because humility seems missing from our present culture. But this lack isn’t anything new.

People, even God’s people, have always had a bent toward self-centeredness and boasting.

And learning to pursue humility is a needed spiritual discipline for a Christ-follower.

So here are 3 of the 8 ways to pursue H-U-M-I-L-I-T-Y.

H – Honor God.

Pursuing humility starts with honoring God by letting Him be God and do His job—not taking over.

But we have a choice to let Him act as CEO of our plans and purpose. We ask ourselves: God is CEO, am I in His seat? If I am, it means I’ve exchanged honoring God for honoring myself.

Because when we take the reins, God doesn’t reign as Lord.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10, ESV)

Pursuing humility starts with honoring God by letting Him be God and do His job—not taking over. #humility #humble #Pursuit Share on X

U – Understand humanity.

Once we realize who God is, we come to terms with our own flesh. Created in God’s image, He wired us for humility, but we learn life’s about me.

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6 Tips to Practice Summer Soul Care

Summer invites us to linger longer on the front porch or back deck. A glass of iced tea or lemonade and we’re all set. Summertime welcomes us to pause from the hectic pace. It beckons us to relax by the pool or in a cozy hammock. But are we practicing soul care? 

Because we are often intentional to care for our bodies in summer.

And we participate in outdoor activities (even exercise), gather with friends and family, foster recreation, and plan time off work to travel and go on vacation.

Yet, sometimes caring for our soul falls off the radar.

Still, in this slower rhythm of summer, the Lord also desires to teach us how to care for our soul.

So here are 6 tips for S.U.M.M.E.R soul care.

S – Satisfy our soul with what only God provides.

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9, ESV).

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV).

Like we long to vacation at the beach, hope to relax at a tropical resort, or desire to fill our summer with joyful activities, our soul longs for good things as well. The Lord wants us to slow down long enough to spend time in His presence. And let Him satisfy, fill, and replenish our soul with His goodness.

The Lord wants us to slow down long enough to spend time in His presence. And let Him satisfy, fill, and replenish our soul with His goodness. #Soul #care #wellness #summer Share on X

U – Understand the role Scripture plays in our soul’s wellness.

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Top 10 List: What I Cherish About Summer

While every season offers holidays to celebrate, nature to enjoy, and highlights that mark the months, summer’s the time of year I cherish most.

Because there are many things to love about summer.

Since enjoying this wonderful season is under way, a top 10 list seems in order to share.

But we’ll start at number ten and countdown to the number one thing I cherish most.

(10.)  Reminiscing of childhood.

Reflecting on my childhood stirs a mix of memories, both good and difficult. Yet, when I think of summer, I remember fun and laughter and joy-filled moments. Memory lane reminds me of playing outside with my sisters and cousins. 

Preteen and teen years meant days spent at the local swimming pool and the first time I jumped off the high dive. So I cherish fond memories of summer.

(9.)  Catching lightning bugs.

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What Does it Mean to Obey God? By Emily Saxe

Since we often struggle with what it really means to obey God, I’m happy to introduce my guest, Emily Saxe. Emily and I connected online several years ago, and participate in many of the same writing and blogging circles. And she just released a Bible study on obedience.

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I fear obeying God. 

There. I said it. 

My days fill with what feels like endless demands. I work a writing and editing job I began in obedience to God. My husband and I spend countless weekends renovating our home — a home we bought knowing God desired our hospitality. When the world wasn’t at war against a virus, I spent many Sundays serving at church.

So you see, every time I obey God, He asks me to add something new to my already-overflowing plate.

At least, that’s what I used to think obedience meant.

What Do You Fear?

I recently published a three-week Bible study on the little book of the Bible called Haggai. The first time I studied Haggai, God blew me away with some truth about obedience. Truth I simply cannot keep to myself. Because I know if I struggle with the fear of believing obedience means adding more to my schedule, then I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

God took my fear of obedience and placed me beside the returned exiles in Jerusalem. These families spent years ignoring God’s command to rebuild His temple, which lay in ruins. They started out in obedience, but then fear of neighboring bullies put a stop to their efforts.

So they settled into a routine of comfort. Of padding their own lives with finished homes and planted crops. All while God’s temple remained in ruins. 

They feared obeying God during those years. They feared for their safety, but they also feared obeying God would mean adding too much to their already-full plates. Walking by the temple ruins, they closed their eyes and hardened their hearts toward what they knew God had asked of them.

What it Actually Means to Obey God

But then something incredible happened. God used Haggai to knock some sense into these exiles. They realized the error of their actions, and they began rebuilding the temple (you can read all about this in Haggai 1). Here’s where God knocked some sense into me, too.

Despite the actions that looked just like obedience, God spoke again to the people, calling them out for their misplaced priorities. And that’s when I realized this truth: Obeying God is not about adding more obedient-looking tasks to my to do list — it’s about the priorities of my heart.

Obeying God is not about adding more obedient-looking tasks to my to do list — it’s about the priorities of my heart. ~ Emily Saxe #studythebiblicaltruths Share on X

We place far too much weight behind getting all our Christian gold stars each week. We focus on reading our Bibles each day, volunteering our time to help those in need, serving in church, and the list goes on.

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