.....humility

God doesn't want us to remain as 'a child'. Doesn't He want us to grow? Absolutely! Paul addressed the Corinthian church as worldly rather than spiritual because they were "mere infants in Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:1. The church was experiencing many trials because they had failed to grow: "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" 1 Corinthians 3:2.

God's Word never calls us to maintain the faith or spiritual understanding of a child. These simple qualities are important, but we must continually grow and send down deep roots which will weather the storm. What we are called to maintain is the simple humility of a child. We must learn to be secure in our Father's hand and to "approach the throne of grace with confidence" Hebrews 4:16, but we must never let our confidence and security lead to an ungrateful assumption of His grace. We initially came to God weak and helpless, and no matter how much we grow - no matter how deep our roots - we remain weak and unable to add a single grain to the grace which He has poured over us.

But our weakness is good! In fact, an understanding of our weakness apart from Christ and our continued walk of weakness is one of the few offerings we can give to our Lord.

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' ...That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."2 Corinthians 12:9,10

God has chosen to unfold His plan through the lives of His children. We are to reflect the light of Christ into a dark and lifeless world; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" 2 Corinthians 5:20. And the world will best see Christ as we remove our own perceived strength and allow the power of God to freely work through us. His power is made perfect as I get my "self" out of the way and walk with a humble weakness.

It's interesting that one of the greatest things we can give to God is an understanding of what we do not have. Let's strip away our pride and once again approach Him with empty hands. Let's offer our lives as a living sacrifice, as a humble sacrifice of weakness.

- steve troxel