“King of all days, oh so highly exalted. Glorious in heaven above. Humbly you came, to the earth you created. All for love’s sake, became poor.”
The lyrics above are from the worship song “Light of the World”. Growing up in a Christian home I’ve sang this song so many times, but I don’t think I understood the power of that line. The vastness of the meaning behind it.
Jesus Christ stepped off His thrown in Heaven, and was sent to earth ultimately for His death. He CHOSE to be born into a poverty stricken lifestyle, to feel the pain of His people. He chose this because of His vast love for us.
How much Humility did it take for The KING to be born in a manger? The ruler of ALL.
More humility than I can fathom.
I desire to be like Christ. I want to be humble like Him. Is that why I have been put in such a humbling situation this month?
Prior to this month on the race, I didn’t know how much pride and entitlement I actually had. Until the day I moved into a house with my host family, in Kadoma, Zimbabwe. Until I had the gull to think on thoughts about my temporary discomfort.
The humbling part of it… My host family doesn’t get to leave these living conditions. They don’t get to leave the discomfort of the bugs, the heat, or the lack of ease. How could I be so entitled to think I deserve better than them?
How I am living this month, is how my host family always lives. This is their lifestyle. Yet, it is not up to American standards… I feel conflicted.
This month I’ve been extremely humbled. I have been fighting off the feelings of entitlement, because when I first arrived here I was dismayed with my living conditions. Why?
Yes, I am uncomfortable this month. Extremely uncomfortable. Would I choose to live like this? No… Did God choose for me to live in these conditions this month? Yes… Is there growth that can be found? Yes.
Still, I will choose joy this month. I will be happy amidst my discomfort. I will remember that this IS an experience of a lifetime… Not because of the elephant rides, or the safaris I experienced last month. It is an experience of a lifetime because of how God is growing my character through the World Race.
I have been humbled, when I was forced to face feelings of entitlement. I have chosen to be a women of grace, because living in community isn’t always easy. I am realizing that my opinion isn’t always the one that needs to be chosen. I have learned that vulnerability creates intimacy with the people around you. The long bus rides and living in community has also produced so much more patience than I thought I could have. I have realized that spending time with the Lord is refreshing, and not a daunting task. I have realized that all of my decisions in my life need to go through the Lord. I’ve realized that placing yourself in a situation where you are FORCED to be uncomfortable, forces growth.
Most importantly surrendering to the Lord, produces fruit in your life in completely unexpected ways.
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:1-8
