He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.Psalm 25:9 NIV

I knew I wasn't handling the situation well.  But, I was tired and I just didn't have the wherewithal to do the right thing.  So, instead of facing arguing children and homeschooling them, I retreated to the bathroom and did my hair.  Because if my hair looked good then, I could face the other stuff of the day. 

Once I emerged from hair and make-up, I saw that the house was nauseatingly messy.  Just like my hair, I took control.  Children were still arguing and not learning anything, but I had to clean up.  It was all about me of course.  My hair.  My house.  My children.

My heart. 

Oh.

Hair: Lookin' good!  Check. 

House: Well, it always needs to be cleaned, but OK.  Check.

Heart: Hmmm... no time to spend with the Lord, because of the hair, the house and the howling children. 

Oh, dear Jesus.  How could I forget about You?!  In all the madness of my day I end up running around putting out fires and You end up last on my list.  You should always be first!  Before hair.  Before homeschooling.  Before housecleaning. 

Humility.  It's hard to swallow isn't it? 

Coming before the Lord with a humble heart means we put Him first, remembering that He first loved us (1 John 4:19).  Having humility doesn't mean we grovel or put ourselves down.  It simply means we have Kingdom priorities while being in an earthly place. 

Harvesting a humble heart means: 

1. Seeking Him, 
2. Serving Him and others, and 
3. Sometimes sacrificing self for the sake of others. 

Being humble doesn't mean we are a doormat or that we constantly degrade ourselves.  It means we are correctable and have a soft heart when the Lord needs to teach us something.  It means we are teachable to His precepts (ways) and that we seek Him because we honor His advice and wisdom.  Certainly it means we think about others before ourselves and that we have a desire to serve. 

If humility is hard for you to get used to, try taking it in small steps.  Try being open when there are teachable moments.  

Remember not to take things personally when someone corrects you.  Remember to carry everything to God in prayer. He will show you what He wants changed, corrected and blessed in your life. 

Allow Him to humble and mold your heart.  Humility shouldn't hurt!  

Father God, I'm so humbled that You know my heart.  You see my deepest desires and my darkest moments, yet You love me through it all.  I'm in awe that You humble without humiliating me.  You know my sensitive heart and how I try to do so much and yet You gently and humbly bring me back to You.  Thank you!  Amen.