“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” (Prov. 22:4 ESV)

As a businessman working within the automotive industry for nearly 40 years, I had the privilege of attending many industry conferences and listening to just about every kind of motivational speaker give me all kinds of steps to follow to achieve the next level of success. There are all the normal tried and proven methods, of course, such as starting with a good plan, working hard, copying what other successful business people do, being honest, serving customers well, and building mentoring relationships, just to name a few—all good things, I might add. But I’ve never heard a speaker say the following: “Humility is a key step towards success.”

Humility flies in the face of human nature

Most people are self-centered and led one way or another by a strong sense of pride, which is a strong driving force that they use to get things done. However, pride does have a dark side, and it can get you into trouble if it is your driving force rather than God.

Pride is the opposite of humility and will lead you downward

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Prov. 11:2 ESV)

Jesus said about humility

“When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 

Jesus said to humble yourself

“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:7-11 ESV)

Jesus set the example

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)

“So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matt. 20:16)

Therefore

“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 ESV)

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” (Col. 3:12 ESV)

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8 ESV)

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14 ESV)

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

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)

We used to have to wait for everything!

When I was a kid, we did not have many of the modern conveniences we enjoy today. We washed our clothes in an old ringer washing machine with two rinse tubs. The wet clothes would have to be fed through the ringer and into the tubs, then back through the ringer and hung out on the lines to dry. It was before permanent press (wrinkle-free technology), so our clothes had to be ironed before we wore them—laundry day was very laborious and time consuming. Most of what we ate was also not convenient. There was no such thing as fast food—everything was made from scratch and took time to prepare. We didn’t have microwave ovens, ice makers, food processors, instant coffee makers, or quick foods like one-minute-rice. Our phones were attached to the wall and the line was shared by a number of families—we all had to wait our turn. And we were all used to waiting for things.  

Things are different now!

 All our convenience appliances do everything fast, often completely by themselves. We have instant entertainment, food delivery, drive-through restaurants, real-time communication, overnight shipping, and the Library of Congress via the internet at our fingertips—it’s all instant gratification. In today’s world, we hardly have to wait long for anything.

We want God to work fast, too!

God does things in His perfect timing but that may appear slow to us. But, He is to be patiently waited for with faith!

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Hab. 2:3 ESV)

Therefore

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” (Psalms 37:7-8)

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5 ESV)

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42 ESV)

Fellowship defined

The dictionary definition: The companionship of individuals in a congenial atmosphere and on equal terms. Friendship; comradeship. A close association of friends or equals sharing similar interests.

Another simple definition: Fellowship is more than one fellow in the same ship.

Why Christian fellowship is important

“That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.” (Heb. 1:12 ESV)

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Prov. 27:17 ESV)

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 ESV)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Eccles. 4:9-12 ESV)

How to have fellowship

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV) 

Warning about fellowship with darkness

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14 ESV)

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6 ESV)

Fellowship With God

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9 ESV)

“That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3 ESV)

Therefore

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor. 13:14 ESV)

“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.” (Prov. 5:21 ESV)

God is watching where?

“The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

What you believe about where God is looking does make a difference in how you behave

Think about it: if Jesus showed up at your house one morning and said He was going to spend the entire day with you, how would that affect what you did that day, what you said to people that day, and even what you listened to on the radio and watched on television and social media that day? Everything you did would be governed by the fact that Jesus was present with you and watching your every move that day.

Fact is, Jesus is with you all the time!

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

 God’s presence did affect Joseph and Jacob

·      Knowing God was watching kept Joseph from sinning with Potiphar’s wife

“How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” (Gen. 39:9 NLT)

·      Knowing God was watching gave Jacob confidence

“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen. 28:15)

God knows your every thought and action

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” (Psalm 139:1-3 NIV) 

There is no place God cannot see you

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (Psalm 139:7-12 NIV).

Therefore

“The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23 ESV)

What a difference a day makes

There’s an old song, “What a difference a day makes,” popular when I was a kid. And the words were about how a short 24 hour period of time could make a vast difference to you and your situation, no matter what—rain and storms are replaced by sunshine and flowers, lonely nights are replaced by love. Things can simply turn around in a short period of time.  

The verse at the top tells us that God’s steadfast love never ceases and is new for us every morning! And His faithfulness is great! That’s great news, especially if things don’t look so good at the moment. God is always able to turn things around for us, no matter how hopeless they may look. There are some wonderful examples of this in the Bible.

·      Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, was next betrayed by Potiphar’s wife and sent to prison, and his future appeared hopeless. But in one day, through a turn of interesting events, he was moved from the pit to the palace and given great authority and power (Gen. 41:1-57). What a difference a day made for Joseph!

·      Mordecai the Jew was greatly distraught and sat in dust and ashes because of the evil plans that had been made to execute him and all his people by Haman, an evil man. But, in one day, all that changed when Queen Esther exposed Haman’s plan to her husband, the King. Haman was immediately executed on the very device he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman, which made him very powerful and wealthy (Esther 8-10). What a difference a day made for Mordecai the Jew!

So, no matter how negative things may appear at the moment, don’t lose heart, just wait!

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16 ESV)

 Therefore

“For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. 1:11 ESV”

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” (Psalm 68:19 KJV)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23)

A farmer named John relied heavily on his crops to provide for his family. One year, however, a severe drought hit the region, and John's fields were withering away. Despite his best efforts to irrigate the land and pray for rain, the situation seemed hopeless.

One evening, as John was feeling discouraged and hopeless, a neighbor came to visit him.The neighbor saw the parched fields and asked John how he was managing to cope with the drought. John explained that he was doing everything he could, but it seemed like there was nothing more he could do. The neighbor then reminded John of the faithfulness of God, who had promised to provide for his children.

The neighbor's words struck a chord in John's heart, and he began to pray fervently for God's intervention. To his amazement, the next day, the skies opened up, and rain poured down upon the fields, reviving the crops and bringing new life to the land.

“The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.” (Psalms 37:18-19 ESV)

From that day on, John never forgot the lesson he learned about the faithfulness of God. Even when he faced other challenges in life, he held on to the belief that God would be faithful to provide for him and his family. And time and time again, God proved Himself faithful, just as He had promised.

Therefore

“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” (Psalms 37:25-26 ESV)

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” (Prov. 12:22 ESV)

When I was a little boy, my dad told me that a man is only as good as his word. It was at a time when deals were still made verbally and sealed with a handshake—honesty and integrity were important, and most people sincerely believed it to be true.

How times have changed!

It’s difficult to hear anyone speak the absolute truth on any news platform anymore. Everyone lies boldly. You have been trained to be skeptical of everyone. And no more verbal deals sealed with a handshake—they must be in writing, verified, notarized, and electronically recorded! Even then, there are lawyers available who specialize in breaking just about any contract.

Have we lost sight of the importance of honesty? It’s still important!

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” (Prov. 11:3 ESV)

Honest directions —Imagine you are driving down the road and you come to a crossroads. There are no signs or signals to indicate which way you should go, and you are feeling uncertain about which direction to take. Suddenly, a stranger approaches your car and offers to help you. They give you clear and straightforward directions, telling you exactly where to go and how to get there. You feel relieved and grateful for their honesty, and you follow their directions without hesitation.

Dishonest directions—Now imagine a different scenario. You are again at the same crossroads, but this time, the stranger who approaches your car gives you misleading directions. They tell you to turn left when you should have gone right, or they give you convoluted and confusing instructions that lead you astray. You end up getting lost, wasting time and perhaps even endangering yourself or others in the process. 

Make honesty your aim! 

“For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” (2 Cor. 8:21 ESV)

When people are honest with us, they give us the information we need to make informed decisions and take the right actions. They help us navigate life's challenges with clarity and confidence. But when people are dishonest, they create confusion and chaos, leading us down the wrong path and causing unnecessary harm. 

Therefore 

Honesty is vital because it promotes clarity, trust, and growth in all aspects of life. Whether we are navigating unfamiliar roads or navigating complex relationships, honesty helps us find our way and stay on the right path. 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.) (Phil. 4:8-9 ESV)

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’” (Matt. 25:21)

Faithful over little things matter

Imagine a farmer who owns a small piece of land. Each day, he wakes up early and tends to his crops, making sure to water and fertilize them properly. He takes the time to inspect each plant, looking for signs of disease or insect infestation. He pulls weeds and prunes branches as needed, all while carefully monitoring the weather and adjusting his strategy accordingly.

To some, this may seem like a small and unimportant task. After all, the farmer's land is just a tiny fraction of the vast expanse of fields and forests that cover the earth. But to the farmer, every little thing matters. He knows that if he neglects his crops, they will wither and die. He understands that even the tiniest mistake can have serious consequences.

As the weeks and months go by, the farmer's hard work begins to pay off. His plants grow strong and healthy, producing an abundant harvest that he can sell at market. His reputation grows, and other farmers begin to seek out his advice on how to grow their own crops. Before long, the farmer's small piece of land has become a thriving oasis, a testament to his faithfulness and dedication.

This story illustrates the importance of being faithful over little things. Just as the farmer tended to his crops with care and diligence, we too must be diligent in the small tasks that God has put in our hands. Whether it's completing a work assignment, taking care of our home and family, or simply being kind to those around us, every little thing matters. By being faithful in these small tasks, we can build a foundation of trust and reliability that will serve us well in all areas of our lives.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10 ESV)

Therefore

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time.” (Matt. 24:45)

“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” (Prov. 28:20)

“All the skilled women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun, in blue and purple and scarlet material and in fine linen. All the women whose heart stirred with a skill spun the goats’ hair.” (Exo. 35:25)

Skilled workers  

God gives each person the skills to do certain things. My wife, Susan, crochets things. She makes hats, scarves, afghans, and various items of clothing, all from balls of yarn. It’s amazing to watch her do it. She also makes quilts from lots of small pieces of cloth that she sews together in all kinds of interesting patterns. It totally amazes me to watch her complete the complicated process of completing all this stuff. She is able to do it because God has given her the skill to do so. I could never do what she does because I have zero interest in or the skills to do what she easily and happily does. And she has no interest in or has the skills for doing a lot of the things I do. And this is a good thing.

God gives various skills and interests so everything needed gets done in the world

“And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship,” (Exo. 35:31)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

He’s created us for good works

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)