50 Days of Wisdom

The foundational attitude in the Christian life is humility. First Peter 5:5 says, "Be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble." When we're talking about humility, what are we talking about? First of all, self-awareness. A humble person is aware of his own limitations, boundaries, competencies and incompetencies, weaknesses, and sins. Self-awareness, then, is when you start by being honest about yourself. So, walking worthy is a walk of one who is convinced he is unworthy. It's honesty about yourself because the default position for fallen sinners is to overestimate themselves, and pride is the dominating, default sin. Occasionally I like to read psychologist Jordan Peterson because I think he's got some amazing practical insights. And he loves to confront university students who tell him they want to change the world. When he asks them what they would like to do, they might say, "End global warming. Eliminate poverty. Eliminate sexual traffic. Eliminate drugs. Eliminate crime." They've got these grandiose ideologies; they want to have a large impact on society; they want to fix the world. And I love how he responds to that. He says, "Well, why don't you start by fixing your own life? That's a big enough challenge. And you may find that you'll never be able to do it in your entire life, but it's a good place to start. Before you fix the world, fix what's wrong with you. That's a big challenge." I mean, it comes down occasionally to something like this: "You're going to change the world, but you can't even stay on a diet. Really? Maybe you can start by cleaning your room. And then, when you get yourself fixed, fix your family. You want a job? Forget the world; just try to fix your family. Maybe you ought to start there." It's bizarre for people to think they can leave their own weaknesses and inabilities where they are and somehow, with all of that weakness never dealt with, they can make a change in the entire world. You've got to start by being honest about your weakness because that throws you at the mercy of the Lord, doesn't it? That's why you come with a Beatitude attitude. That's why you live the Christian life with all humility. Humility says, "I'm not worthy; I'm not capable; I'm not able. I understand that. And so whatever suffering the Lord brings into my life, I want to embrace that suffering. Whatever He's doing to refine me and break my confidence in myself, I want to embrace that because it's only when I am weak that I am strong. When I get out of the way and trust Him, then there's real strength." So it starts with an honest self-awareness. Secondly, I would say it's about Christ awareness. When you overestimate your significance, importance, value, and competencies, you probably compare yourself to someone inferior, rather than Christ. But as you gaze at the glory of Christ, and as you see Him for who He is, you get smaller and smaller. John the Baptist said, "He must increase, and I must decrease." And then thirdly, it's also a view of God, like Isaiah 6. Isaiah, who's the prophet, sees God; and having seen God, he puts a curse on himself and says he's a man with a dirty mouth and pronounces judgment on himself. So, humility comes from an honest evaluation of yourself and a true vision of Christ and God. And the purer your vision of yourself and your Lord and God, the more useful you become. This is the power of humility. Repent and believe! GTY.org (49-16) – The Strength of Gentleness

Today's Wisdom

Day: 976

July 21, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen