You’ll find it difficult to grow and develop as a disciple of Jesus if you aren’t intentionally cultivating humility. Augustine says: “If you try to build a tall house of virtues you must first of all lay a deep foundation of humility.”*

He’s talking about the castle of your character. Without a “deep foundation of humility” you won’t be able to build “a tall house of virtues.”

That’s why on Sunday I invited the congregation where I serve to start each day with words that encourage us to live with a posture of humility. Why don’t we all try it? When we wake up, and as soon as our feet hit the floor, let’s say Jesus’ words in Luke 14:11: “all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Jesus originally spoke those words to people trying to leap frog others on the social ladder. We are wise to consider this warning as well—but even more, to see it as a general word of wisdom that we should focus less on our own wants, and more on other people’s needs.

Your day tends to feel right, when you start it in the right way.

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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–Today’s devotional is connected to my most recent sermon (Feb 21, 2021). It’s called “The Lord of the Party.” You can watch or listen here.

–*As quoted in: Walter Hilton, ed. Halcyon Backhouse, The Scale of Perfection (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1992), 47.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.