Two Powerful Steps on the Journey to Humility

Do you know that there are two powerful steps on the journey to humility?

What are the most important steps in the journey to humility, and when do we need to take these steps? Here are several warning signs that we have veered off the narrow road and need to take steps back on the journey to humility.

When We Need to Make the Journey Back to Humility

One of the most important signs that we need to make the journey back to humility is when we start resisting our callings or carry them out of obligation and not with joy.

There could be many reasons for this situation. Here are the major ones.

• Spiritual weariness. We experience spiritual emptiness and a lack of joy. We may feel that the price for following our calling (usually this is suffering and sacrifice) is too high, and we are not willing to pay it anymore.
• Spiritual opposition. If we struggle with intense spiritual opposition for a prolonged time without any breakthrough or victory.
• Spiritual boredom. This one is dangerous and a good indicator of the condition of our hearts. It shows that our love for the Lord has cooled off. When serving the Lord has become burdensome, it is a big red flag. (Malachi 1:13)
• Unwillingness to love and serve our enemies. This is another sign of a heart turning cold. Jonah is a good example. He rejected God’s assignment to serve the enemies of Israel and help them receive God’s grace.  (see the book of Jonah)
• Pride, self-sufficiency, self-reliance. This is the main root issue of all the above symptoms. These prideful attitudes lead us to an unwillingness to move forward, either due to feelings of failure as a result of discouragement or because of feelings of proud achievement as a result of success. Either way, we are stuck in our spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
• Fear and inadequacy. This is the second major cause of deviating from the narrow path. Many people of God have struggled with fear and inadequacy, and they have been able to move forward only when they trusted God’s protective presence and moved on despite the fear.

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Two Powerful Steps on the Journey to Humility

Step 1 – Repentance

Repentance is always the first step when we want to return to God. If you recognize several of the above symptoms in your life and ministry, ask the Lord to open your eyes and convict you and show you why and where you have grown cold.

Here are the Lord’s words to the church in Ephesus:

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” (Revelation 2:4-5, NIV)

Let’s take these words to heart, acknowledge our condition, confess and repent, asking the Lord for His healing and restoring grace.

Repentance is always the first step when we want to return to God. #repentance #humility #trustGod Share on X

Step 2 – Pivoting

The next step is to pivot. This means “to completely change the way in which one does something”, and to “begin to run or manage (something) in a completely different way.” Simply put, pivoting is a profound and complete change in our doing, following the change in our hearts when we repent.

Here is what we can do to pivot when we face our biggest enemies: pride and fear.

Dealing with Pride

The best way to deal with pride is to ask God to break us. This is one of the most powerful prayers on our journey to humility. The broken vessels are humble vessels depending on God’s grace.

The next thing we can do is to examine our motives: is it for me, or is it for the glory of God (Soli Deo Gloria)? We need to be honest and ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts.

The last important step is to go back and start relying on God again, not on our efforts, work, and other people. Often, we harbor the wrong belief that if we check every box and do all we need, success is guaranteed. This, however, is not the reality. We can encourage ourselves with the truth that the results are always in God’s hands. He has the final word, now and in eternity.

The best way to deal with pride is to ask God to break us. #humility #faith #trustGod Share on X

Dealing with Fear

We can only successfully deal with and overcome fear by activating our faith. Faith is the opposite of fear. We activate our faith when we decide to take God at His word and trust He will do what He says. And here is what He has promised:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

When we choose to rely on His faithfulness, perfect love, and His sufficiency, we are well prepared to move forward despite the fear. We can be sure that God will always prepare us for what He has for us. 

Humility Births True Fruitfulness

True fruitfulness in the Lord requires humility. The journey to humility is one of the greatest blessings the Lord can bestow on us. The price is high because it involves sacrifice and suffering. But these are exactly the tools God uses to sanctify His servants.

When you think the price is too high, remember that Jesus is worthy. No price is high enough to pay to respond to His love and sacrifice!  

How God Uses Suffering to Humble and Mature Us?

Do you know that God uses our pain and suffering to humble and mature us, and ultimately bless us? Learn more in my book, “Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings.”

Let me take you on a journey through 13 painful experiences, showing the precious blessings in each of them.

More Encouragement for You

If you need more resources and encouragement to help you serve the Lord successfully in all situations and with all your heart, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.

Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

The Night Is Normal by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life by Denise Dubois Pass and Michelle Nietert

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst

Hope When Life Unravels: Finding God When It Hurts by Adam Dooley

Restoration Year – a 365-Day Devotional by John Eldredge

The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips

Hope for the Hard Days by Sarah Geringer

Lean into Grace by Stacey Pardoe

This page contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. The commission I make from these items will help keep this blog going. Thank you!

Your Turn

Have you struggled with spiritual weariness and boredom? What are the steps you can take to return to the narrow road? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!

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The journey to humility is one of the greatest blessings the Lord can bestow on us. #blessings #humility #trustGod Share on X

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