"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” // Matthew 23:12
She has a quiet humility.
Sitting across from me on the patio, she crosses her slim ankles and leans forward into the dialogue. Quick to listen and patient to respond, she is intentional and thoughtful. By her actions, through the sharing of her thoughts and the way she lives her life, she invites me to join her path to holiness. As she reveals her imperfections, her doubts or struggles, she silently encourages me to examine my own. When she shares her prayers, she gives me a new perspective on my own prayer life. She evangelizes not in the way of the scribes and Pharisees, but as a servant of God. She humbles herself, unafraid to be vulnerable, and in this humility I see holiness.
It is the opposite of the ‘check-the-box’ holiness I struggle against. As a convert, I was quick to embrace the rules and learn the traditions. The deeper relationship with the Lord, the humility from seeing my own weakness and celebrating that as a chance to rely more on God has taken longer to develop. When I spend time with my friend, I know that there is more. I know that I can have a deeper reliance on the Lord. I can surrender to Him more fully. I can love Him more deeply.
I pray that one day I will be that witness of a life well lived for Christ—not the life of the Pharisee or scribe, but the life of a beloved disciple. Spiritual pride is a sneaky thing, but seeing someone live a life of surrender and humility shows me my own pride and how God’s grace is needed in my life. May we all learn to exalt Him as we humble ourselves and to do everything for the Glory of God, out of love for Him.
Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett is a writer, national speaker, and podcast host covering topics in psychology and faith. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and works at the important intersection of faith and developmental science, blending them in the original harmony God intended. Dr. Mary Ruth is the author of Daughter by Design: Discovering Your Identity as God's Beloved Daughter, and co-coauthor of Spiritual Discernment for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy. She is a contributing author to All She Had and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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