“For everyone who praises himself will one day be humiliated before all, and everyone who humbles himself will one day be lifted up and honored before all.”

Luke 18:14b (TPT)

Humility is priceless in the presence of God. Pride, on the other hand, chooses to make its own decisions to benefit and please itself rather than obeying God. Pride takes matters into its own hands and doesn’t trust God as it should. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

Humility is living a surrendered life to the Lord. It’s more than a “mind-set.” It’s an “attitude of the heart.” It’s not a “one-time thing” but rather a “lifestyle” that we live before God. Humility is allowing God to do what He sees is important for my everyday life. This is what an underdog is. An underdog is a person who is willing to surrender his will at the cost of his reputation. He yields himself to do the work of God. It doesn’t matter if the odds are against him or if it doesn’t make sense to the natural mind. He’s willing to be misunderstood for the sake of Christ. He is not moved by popular opinion in obeying God. “[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame” (1 Corinthians 1:17 AMPC).

Underdogs tend to need God’s miracles in their lives to achieve God’s dreams. They need and depend on God’s daily intervention. They expect God to answer their prayers and to open doors. They constantly seek God’s face because they are so dependent upon His presence in their lives more than the answers that He can provide. Their desire is to ultimately please Him and fulfill God’s dream, not their own. They are willing to sacrifice and pay the price physically, emotionally and financially as long as God has His will done through their lives.

Underdogs are willing to pay the price. No matter what the cost, they know they are never alone with God and they’ll never be abandoned by Him. The underdogs have given their “time, talents and treasures” to serve the Lord and share the gospel message. They know they can “never out give God.” The underdogs are never at a disadvantage. They expect God to “meet all of their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians. 4:19). They walk in His presence on a daily basis because they totally depend upon Him for everything. They are not weak, but they are strong in God.

When Gideon led the army of Israel (32,000 men) against the Midianites (135,000 men) in the Book of Judges, chapter 7, it already seemed that the Israelites were at a great deficit. God instructed Gideon to allow those who were fearful to leave, and 22,000 men left, leaving them with 10,000 men. In God’s eyes, that was still too much. He didn’t want the men to trust in their own strength but to trust Him. He instructed Gideon to take the men down to the river for a drink and all who “got on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream” were sent home. The rest of the men “cupped the water in their hands and lifted it up to their mouth to drink” were kept.

These men were alert, always looking at their surroundings, paying attention to the task at hand and always observing in the event the enemy attacked at any moment. The number of men that were kept back was 300. Gideon’s 300 men defeated the Midianites. They were greatly outnumbered, the odds were against them, they were the overwhelming underdogs, so they had to humble themselves before God and totally depend upon the Lord for their victory. They couldn’t rely upon their strength. They couldn’t revert back to their skills or their resources. Only a miracle from God could defeat their enemies…and that is what God wanted! He wants the same for our lives.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
All through my teenage years I never cared about learning. As long as I passed my classes and graduated, I was happy. All I could think of growing up was my future career. I wanted to make money and live the life I dreamed of. I remember walking into my high school counselor’s office and asked her what career I could go in and make the most money right away with little or no additional schooling. After a few meetings and research, I made my decision and after I graduated from high school, I enrolled into college to get my degree so I could start my career.

A couple years after my graduation from college I gave my life totally to Jesus! I was truly “born again.” Soon after I changed my career because I wanted to spend more time at church, attending Life Group, going to discipleship classes, participate in prayer meetings, attending church conferences, I wanted all of God and what He had for me. But my career was consuming my life. It wouldn’t allow me to change my schedule, so I changed careers (I’m not advising anyone to change careers). God shouldn’t revolve around my dreams and career. My life should revolve around God’s dreams. I had to humble myself before God and trust Him with all my heart.

I began to pray from a place of humility, specifically for a new career in a new field. God began to open doors for my employment in the business district where I could get the working hours I needed so I could give God the time He needed. I wouldn’t have the experience nor the qualified knowledge to even get the work that I was hired to do but God’s favor was upon me. When I changed careers I not only felt like an underdog, I was an underdog.

It was really tough learning a new set of business language and skills. The workplace wasn’t kind to me either. I prayed a lot wondering if this was the right move. At times I was so discouraged there were many nights I had second thoughts about changing careers. It seemed as if everything was stripped from me and all I had was God. It was a very humbling experience. I went through a season of brokenness.

After I persevered, God began to flood me with His wisdom and favor. I would get raises and bonuses beyond what my fellow co-workers were receiving who were there for longer periods of time. I even got promoted to management level. It was beyond what I could ever ask, think or imagine. God promised us, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). It was all about walking in humility before God and desiring to have His will be done in my life more than anything. Through it all I had the opportunity to share my faith in Christ to the CEO and all of the top-level management and staff that I worked with. I led some to Christ and helped restore marriages and families. When the opportunity arose, I testified about Christ to my clients and invited them to church. It may be a lot to sacrifice, but all I knew was that God loves the underdogs because they desire to totally depend upon Him no matter what the cost. It’s never easy to walk in humility before God. It takes a conscious effort and a fight of faith to do it. (Pastor Scott Tsuha)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Jesus, You’re the purest and true example of humility. Through Your humble obedience and ultimate sacrifice my life was redeemed. You were the ultimate underdog who had defeated Satan, sin and every curse from my life because You were obedient unto death on the Cross. Today, I take on the same attitude that You have and humble myself to yield to the Father’s plan. If that makes me an underdog, then so be it. Because miracles happen for the underdogs when we put our trust in You!”

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: Jeremiah 32-34; Ecclesiastes 10
• New Testament: John 4:27-42; 1 Peter 1:1-9