Keep me humble, Keep me holy.

The mantra"keep me humble, keep me holy" was pounded into a leather bracelet for a friend of mine at camp this summer. When we met each Tuesday in our growth groups, she constantly reminded me what that really meant.

In the most difficult of circumstances, she handed over the struggle to her Maker. When she had nothing left to give, she fell at the foot of the cross and asked Him to revive her. With every success, she gave Him praise. With every failure, she gave Him thanks. All for Jesus. All for Jesus.

So often it is easier for me to fall into bitterness and indifference than to allow myself to be humbled to be made holy. I had a meeting with someone in administration half an hour ago and did not at all live up to my call to holiness or humility. I walked into the office with my head held high and a list of things I needed to say tucked in my pocket. This meeting, I had previously decided, was something I needed to "win." Little did I know, that it wasn't a fight at all. There would be no winner or loser, unless I formed those ideas in my head. Everything I was thinking and feeling fell into these three categories: 1. what felt good, 2. what was easiest, and 3. whatever concerned me. It was all about me. It was all about Emily. I had prepared in my mind what points I needed to make and knew I must remain calm during the conversation--because of that, I had unintentionally blocked myself from receiving the grace I would need.

But despite my sinfulness, God's goodness remains. I may have walked into that meeting stubborn and self-centered but a certain peace came into my heart and I shook the other person's hand and sat down. With that peace came an understanding that a hard heart wasn't going to get me anywhere. The meeting was smooth and virtually painless because I was sitting there being humbled.

Holiness takes humility. We pretty much all desire to get to heaven, I'm sure and the only way to heaven is through holiness. Thus, heaven takes humility too.

keep me humble, keep me holy...write it on a notecard and put it in your pocket or in your purse or write it on your planner or get it tattooed on your arm. whatever you do, never forget it.