| “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” |
| —James 4:10 |
Almost everyone, at some time in their lives, strives for acceptance, recognition, and praise. We only need to observe young children in their Kindergarten classroom to see the many different ways they vie for attention. Whether a child always raises his or her hand to be the one answering the teacher’s question, or sulks in the corner hoping the teacher will come to investigate his or her funk, each child longs for the spotlight that validates who they are as a person.
In our adult lives, we still strive for recognition in some way. Even those adults who tell themselves that they don’t really care at all what others think about them, do truly care, deep down inside. God made us as creatures who long for a connection that says, “You’re worthy! You’re special! You’re not invisible! You’re loved!”
My background in studying Psychology always forces me to analyze, even over-analyze, the way that I relate to others. Many times, I find myself lamenting the way I have behaved, wishing I could be the kind of “cool, groovy, and aloof” individual that does not telegraph quite so much neediness. At my advanced age, I realize that “I am who I am” with little hope of changing by my own efforts. To give me some comfort, I tell myself that at least I recognize most of my many flaws and particularly the rather poor way I relate to others. Yet, sometimes, the longing for acceptance and love seems overwhelming to me.
The Apostle James understood what it meant to long for acceptance, recognition, and praise. He was, after all, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. A son of Mary and Joseph—with an apology to my dear Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran friends who believe Mary remained perpetually a virgin—he had initially rejected the claims of his mother’s first born child. But, the Holy Spirit was relentless and eventually James acknowledged the gift that God had given to him through God’s son, Jesus. To many people, James was looked on as an afterthought. How could he possibly compare to his magnificent half-brother?
Notice what James writes in James 4:10:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
So, the key to acceptance, recognition, and praise—and even to be truly loved—is to become humble. This seems like a perfect task for the Holy Spirit to work in us that which will lead us to genuine humility.
As we begin a new day, surely the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and help us learn to become truly humble. I don’t know about you, but I really—really—need His help in this regard.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2017
