One more time: Happy New Year!
With the release of the book only a few days away, this week I am sharing the last two of the seven attributes of the humility factor modeled by Jesus in His leadership. So far, I’ve given you a taste of the first five: compassion, sacrificial service, openness, brokenness, and self-awareness. The last two, forgiveness and gratitude, finish out the attributes which lead to humble intelligence in a pastor and leader.
Forgiveness
While the attribute of brokenness was the hardest sign to describe but most easily recognized, the next sign of the humility factor—forgiveness—is probably the easiest to define, but the most difficult to put into action. And, like brokenness, it is easy to spot if it is there, but even easier if it is not. All believers understand and accept the forgiveness we receive from God through the blood of Jesus. We embrace the words that assure us of the forgiveness of sins, such as Ephesians 1:7, “We have the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace”; Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us”; as well as Jesus’ own words from Matthew 26:28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” and the almost unfathomable words He spoke on the cross in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them.”
At the core of our faith is the forgiveness we gratefully receive, but that’s when it gets hard. Accepting forgiveness from God is one thing, but then having to apply forgiveness in our own lives to others who have wronged us is much more difficult. Pastors with humble intelligence display forgiveness.
Gratitude
According to Webster’s Dictionary, grateful and thankful are synonyms, each meaning the other when defined, so, as we introduce the last of the seven signs of the humility factor, note that the Bible has well over 1000 references to gratitude, thanksgiving, and all forms of each word within the scriptures, including multiple accounts of Jesus giving thanks to His Heavenly Father in a variety of settings and circumstances, most notably prior to breaking the bread that symbolically represented His own broken body at the last supper on the night before He was crucified. Even when pointing directly to the horror of the cross, Jesus remained thankful for what He had been given.
Pastors who possess humble intelligence are grateful people. They recognize the good things which God has put in their lives, which translates into an appreciation for the others around them with whom they work and serve. When something good happens, they give the credit to God and they outwardly model thankfulness to the people they lead. When circumstances aren’t ideal, or in times when the challenges of life are mounting, a grateful pastor will remain optimistic and trust in God’s provision as is written in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
PLEASE HELP GET THE WORD OUT
I’ve started an online campaign to raise the awareness of the launch of The Humility Factor and I’d really appreciate your help to make this happen by adding your social media support.
It couldn’t be easier to help me get the word out. I’m using a platform called Thunderclap, and I need 100 people to join with me on this by the end of this weekend in order for this to happen.
It takes 5 seconds to join. Here’s how.
Just follow this link: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/66492-the-humility-factor-launch
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The Humility Factor will be available for purchase on Monday, January 15, 2018. I would sure appreciate you making your purchase on that day so that we make a splash on Amazon.com for others to see and catch the wave of The Humility Factor. If you would write a review and post it on Amazon.com, that would be even better!
Thanks for taking the time to read this message. Please take a moment to view this week’s video as well. You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POAyw6aalIs.
DJP (That’s Dr. John Plastow)
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