A meditation on God's humility for the Lenten period by theologian and author Dr Jane Williams. St Augustine's insight was that it is only the merciful humility of God that could penetrate our armoured pride. As we follow this book through Lent and through the Biblical narrative what begins to emerge is that God's merciful humility is the source of life. The chapters of Jane Williams's book include: 'Humble Beginnings'; 'How to win friends and influence nobody'; 'Reigning from a tree' and 'Risen and ascended into humility'. Her reflective Lent book will be a trusted guide for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of God's humility during this religious period.
We've made following Jesus far too complex. We don't know what to do with all the things in the Bible that seem necessary, so we make them into a to-do list: love others, forgive those who hurt you, have joy, be patient, stay faithful, give to the hurting, serve in your church, pray without ceasing, confess your sins, and on and on. These are all great things, but is a checklist really what Jesus intended when he said, "Follow me"? More than two thousand years ago, the prophet Micah implored Israel to return to its true calling: "Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." Could this plainspoken Bible verse not only sum up how we should live today but breathe a fresh purpose into our souls? In this practical and freeing book, pastor Rusty George shares the simplicity of what God desires from us. Living a faithful life should not be a chore, and George teaches how to put away our checklists and walk humbly according to God's will for our lives.
We all admire humility when we see it. But how do we practice it? How does humility--the foundational virtue of the normal Christian life--become a normal part of our everyday lives? Jerry Bridges sees in the Beatitudes a series of blessings from Jesus, a pattern for humility in action. Starting with poverty in spirit--an acknowledgment that in and of ourselves we are incapable of living holy lives pleasing to God--and proceeding through our mourning over personal sin, our hunger and thirst for righteousness, our experience of persecutions large and small, and more, we discover that humility is itself a blessing: At every turn, God is present to us, giving grace to the humble and lifting us up to blessing.
How do I humble myself? Humility, according to the Bible, is not something we can just up and do. Both the negative and positive examples of Scripture—from Pharaoh to Rehoboam, from Josiah to Ahab, from Hezekiah to Manasseh, and even to Christ himself—teach us that humility first comes from the hand of God. He initiates the humbling of his creatures. And once he has, the question confronts us: Will you receive it? Will you humble yourself in response to his humbling hand, or will you kick against him? This concise, accessible study of Scripture’s humble-self language uncovers two surprising lessons about the pursuit of humility in the Christian—both what we cannot do and also what steps we can take.
Christians know that God loves them, but can easily feel that he is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. As a result, they focus a lot—and rightly so—on what Jesus has done to appease God’s wrath for sin. But how does Jesus Christ actually feel about his people amid all their sins and failures? This book draws us to Matthew 11, where Jesus describes himself as “gentle and lowly in heart,” longing for his people to find rest in him. The gospel flows from God’s deepest heart for his people, a heart of tender love for the sinful and suffering. These chapters take readers into the depths of Christ’s very heart for sinners, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is and encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. His longing heart for sinners comforts and sustains readers in their up-and-down lives.
If you had, at this very moment, the choice between receiving justice or mercy in your life, which one would you choose? Your initial reaction, without thinking too deeply, may be that of choosing justice, and that makes perfect sense. After all, we live in a country that prides itself on dispensing justice to its citizens. And those efforts should be applauded because they benefit all of us. Justice for all is one of the basic fundamentals America was founded upon.Certainly, in order to accurately answer the initial question, you would want to know the circumstances. For instance, are we speaking about justice in a legal sense, justice among coworkers, justice between friends or family, or something more profound? It might help if we kept a simple definition in mind of justice and mercy. Think about the fact that justice would be receiving only what you do deserve; whereas, mercy is receiving what you do not deserve. Does that help?If we were viewing nothing but the physical world, justice is a good thing, but mercy could be better. To illustrate that, let's say you are shopping for a gift and you pick up an item that you accidentally drop. The item breaks, and you realize that you need to take it to the checkout counter to pay for it. In that situation, would you want the clerk to charge you for the item, or would you rather hear the clerk say, "Don't worry about it. You don't have to pay anything?" In short, would you prefer justice, which means you pay for the item, or mercy, which means you pay nothing for the broken item? Do you want what you deserve or what you don't deserve?Of course, the real question is: When you stand before God in judgment, do you want to receive only what you deserve, which would be justice, or do you want God to extend what you don't deserve, which would be mercy? That's what we want to explore throughout this study together.I pray that by the time we conclude our thoughts, we will all come to the point of saying: "God, be merciful to me."
We all admire humility when we see it. But how do we practice it? How does humility—the foundational virtue of the normal Christian life—become a normal part of our everyday lives? Jerry Bridges sees in the Beatitudes a series of blessings from Jesus, a pattern for humility in action. Starting with poverty in spirit—an acknowledgment that in and of ourselves we are incapable of living holy lives pleasing to God—and proceeding through our mourning over personal sin, our hunger and thirst for righteousness, our experience of persecutions large and small, and more, we discover that humility is itself a blessing: At every turn, God is present to us, giving grace to the humble and lifting us up to blessing.
One need not fear that the constant handling of one book will dry up the mind, if the topic treated be one of primary importance, and if it be the work of a master on the spiritual life. The number of thoughts and truths suggested by such a book are truly wonderful. It often will happen that far more is suggested than is actually put down by the hand of the writer. But to enjoy this result, you must have put away all hurry; you must have said, “I am going to spend at least a year with this friend; I am going to take him not merely for a friend but for a master and a guide.” I well remember how one night before bed–time, reading my da Bergamo in the Chapel of St. Bede’s College, a single line suggested this idea or train of thought: God in the Old and New Testament named people after their personal characteristics. Aeterna Press
In this classic work, Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo explores the virtue of humility, which he considers the foundation of all virtues. Drawing from the teachings of saints and his own experience as a spiritual director, he provides practical guidance on how to cultivate humility in daily life. This book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to grow in holiness and deepen their relationship with God.
The book attempts to define what mercy is, states some of its features and then presents some dimensions of mercy. It shows practical demonstration of God's mercy to sinners, the oppressed, the poor, those in dangerous (13)situations, the sick, among others, who look up to Him for mercy; all to bring man into a perpetual covenant relationship with God. The book also points out mercy facilitators. That is, those things you can do to attract God's mercy with its numerous benefits. These include, being merciful yourself as God your heavenly Father is; living holy life, fearing, loving and serving God; taking good care of servants of God; having a right disposition to life; and making request for God's mercy in humility.The book urges those that are still outside the fold of Christ to first invite Jesus Christ into their life as Lord and Saviour. In its last chapter the book states what can make you become a man with bowel of mercy, living in the miraculous.
