Humble Yourself

“Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” Sirach 3:20

What is the favor of God and should we desire it? Of course! Favor is the power that changes things for us. For example, an unknown author suddenly gets into Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club. Oprah’s endorsement automatically catapults that author’s book into the best selling list. If Oprah’s favor can do that for a struggling author, imagine what God’s favor can do? 

Pastor Joel Osteen feels like crying every time he speaks about how Lakewood Church got the Compaq Center to hold their services in. Before, his father held services in a converted feed store in a seedier part of Houston and they were looked down upon. After John Osteen passed away, the younger Osteen took over. When he won the long battle to use Compaq Center for their church, they grew exponentially and became very influential.

The readings for this Sunday, from Sirach and Luke 14:1, 7-14, are about humility. Jesus cannot stress enough about how we will find God’s favor if we are humble. “Go take the lowest place,” Jesus advised, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Let us not allow the world to warp our way of thinking, and try always to be humble, instead of putting ourselves before others.