Unity Seed – Extend Mercy: Humility

Key Verse

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NIV)

Short Reflection

Humility empowers us to extend mercy with the kind of compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience that our Lord gives us. Humility grows from lifelong realizations of our shameful self-centeredness before the Lamb of God, the futility of our own efforts and the emptiness of our endeavors apart from our Creator, the Source of Life, the Almighty God, our Saviour and Redeemer.

The path of humility is long, difficult, and heartbreaking, but with full trust in the unfailing love of God, with the patience and endurance that the Holy Spirit gives, emerges the sweetest fruit of love that pleases the Master and gives lasting joy to His followers.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 ESV

The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility. T.S. Eliot

Lord, let this reader and I be “All for One”, and as a result, clothe ourselves with humility that will allow us to serve and love one another like Jesus.

This is the third in the “Extend Mercy” series of blog posts and is written by Elizabeth Veñegas, on staff with our Filipino partner, The Center for Community Transformation.