Listen to last Sunday’s sermon: Humility, The Path to Greatness and God’s Blessings found in 2 Kings 5.

In the fourth and final part of the “Blessing Blueprint” series, Pastor Eric explored the connection between humility and God’s blessings. Drawing from the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, the sermon highlighted key principles about humility and its role in receiving God’s favor.

Key Points:
1. God may allow unexpected setbacks to bring us to a place of humility.

– Naaman, a powerful and successful commander, was afflicted with leprosy, a humbling disease.
– God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble (James 4:6).
– Humility is essential for salvation, as one must confess their sins and need for grace.

2. God’s will may require simple steps of obedience.

– Naaman initially resisted the simple solution offered by Elisha, expecting a more complex remedy.
– Embracing God’s methods over our own is crucial for experiencing His blessings.

3. Humility leads to healing, wholeness, and salvation.

– When Naaman humbled himself and obeyed, he found healing and salvation.
– God’s glory and power flow into those who are humble.

4. Humility is the foundation for all other virtues.

– It is the soil in which all other virtues grow (Andrew Murray).
– Pride is often at the source of many conflicts and failures.

How to Develop Humility?

To cultivate humility in our lives, Pastor Eric suggested several practical steps:
– Acknowledge mistakes and sins to God.
– Apologize to others when at fault and seek forgiveness.
– Accept God’s will, knowing He knows what is best.
– Serve others instead of always seeking to be served.
– Put others’ interests before our own.
– Be teachable and open to correction from those God has placed in our lives.
– Express gratitude and give credit to others and God.
– Fast and pray as acts of humbling ourselves.

What are The Blessings of Humility?

Scripture promises numerous blessings to those who walk in humility:

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4).

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10).

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may lift you up (1 Peter 5:6).

In God’s kingdom, the path to honour is through humility. The more we lower ourselves, the more God can exalt us. Just as water fills the lowest places first, God’s glory and power flow into those who are humble.

Humility as a Foundation

Andrew Murray once said that humility is not just a virtue among others but the very soil in which all other virtues grow. The absence of humility can explain every failure and defect in a person’s character. Pride, on the other hand, is at the source of many conflicts. As C.S. Lewis famously stated,

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

The goal of humility is not to diminish one’s strength or capabilities but to break the self-will and align it with God’s will. When God promotes the humble, it exalts them without inflating their ego. As Charles Hodge noted, the doctrines of grace humble a person without degrading them and exalt them without inflating them.

No matter how successful, powerful, or important we may be, we all need to humble ourselves before God. Naaman had to lay down his pride, his preconceptions of how things should happen, and simply obey in faith. When he humbled himself, God moved mightily, and he found healing, wholeness, and salvation. The same is true for us today. If we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up and bestow His blessings upon us.

As we conclude this series on the “Blessing Blueprint,” let us commit to walking in humility, aligning our lives with God’s will, and positioning ourselves to receive His abundant blessings. May we be a people marked by humility, obedience, and faith, experiencing the fullness of God’s favor and grace in every area of our lives.

Watch sermon here: