Prepare by Taking on Humility
It is well-known that pride goes before a fall. None of us want to fall during the days ahead. We want to walk faithfully, lovingly and bravely through them. That won’t happen if pride gets its way! And pride can be very difficult to see in ourselves. It’s the impulse to put our own needs ahead of others; to trust ourselves, rather than the Lord; and to draw confidence from our own knowledge and strength. This just won’t work in the days ahead. Yielding to the Lord, extending ourselves for others, and a healthy recognition of how little we can do without Him—these are the “secret weapons” of humility. Fortunately, there are ways we can grow it while there’s still time.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
End Times Challenge
The very opposite of Satan’s “man of perdition” is God’s “Man of humility”—Jesus. If we want our Lord to walk closely with us through this time, we will have to “walk humbly” with our God. Love desires it. Guidance requires it: Only humility recognizes the need for God’s wisdom; only humility will obey it. Pride is not an option for the days ahead!
Bridal Response
Step 1. Pray!
This must be repeated with every new challenge, because our usual reaction is to look to past experience and our abilities and say, “No way!” or try slugging it out bravely in our own strength. We all-too-easily forget that our strength is in Him, our hope is in Him—not in ourselves. So, if the Holy Spirit is making us aware (waking us up) to a fresh challenge, then the first thing the Lord wants us to do is cast that care on Jesus, because He cares for us enough to help us with it.[i] Pray, therefore, until fear and doubt fall away. Jesus is willing and able to help us with anything, that’s why He guarantees in scripture that if we call on Him, He will rescue/save/help us every time.[ii] How much do you have to call? Cry out in prayer until you receive confidence that He has heard you and the help is on the way.
Step 2. Make Peace with Weakness
If we can hardly make it through daily life trusting in and relying upon our own strength, how will we hold up under the pressure of the days to come? The answer is stop trusting in and relying upon your self now! Self is no one’s savior. Only Jesus is. He comes to all who ask Him. He strengthens all who rely upon Him. He refreshes all who turn to Him. He lifts the burden off all who cast their cares upon Him. He gives His wisdom freely to all who ask for it. The only thing in the universe that blocks this beautiful out-pouring of grace is pride. If we look to ourselves for the answers or the strengths we need, we’ll miss the mark by a mile. Paul says, “Be strong in the Lord”— not our Self! Only in this way, will we be able to “stand in the evil day.[iii]
A major reason that we keep looking to ourselves is (ironically) our weaknesses. We hate them! We’re always trying to hide them or over-master them. We get a big head (pride) when any of our strengths enable us to triumph over our weaknesses and suffer a thousand deaths when they don’t. Reproaching ourselves for our weaknesses seems spiritual, but it is really pride in disguise. Jesus told us in advance that apart from Him we would be able to do no good thing.[iv] The key is staying connected to Him. Working on keeping that life-giving connection in good working order is the work of enlightened humility. Why waste time faulting yourself for being so weak, so tired, so foolish, so empty-headed, or so inadequate, if these weaknesses are “friendly reminders” from the Holy Spirit to lean on Jesus instead? Just turn from them and grab hold of Him!
The truth is that we need our weakness to keep us humble. God only gives His grace to the humble and only the truly humble realize how much they need it. Since God and His grace are able to triumph over any obstacle we face, the weaknesses aren’t the problem. He has already forgiven you for all your weakness, ignorance, inadequacy—you name it. He fully accepts you just as you are and has made His plans accordingly. He has fool proof plans and (if I can say it), we’re the fools. So, let’s turn around, shake hands with our weaknesses and call them our “tutors” who lead us back to Christ, by reminding us to lean on Him. Paul learned this lesson so well, he said he “boasted” in his weakness. That’s the way to go!
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Next Way to Prepare
Prepare by Casting off Fear The scriptures say that in the Last Days people’s hearts will fail them for fear of the things coming on the earth. That doesn’t have to be us! We have been forewarned both about the perilous times that are coming and of the danger that fear itself will hold for any who have not learned to vanquish this formidable temptation. With all of the other troubles surrounding us, the one thing we won’t need to add is fear. That only makes every problem worse! Worse than that, it can even lead a frightened person to abandon the faith, rather than stay faithful in the face of persecution. Martyrs’ of the past may not have always been entirely fearless, but they stood firm. We would do well to gain victories over fear now, so it won’t gain victory over us later.
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Signs of the Second Coming (36-page eBook)
Signs of Christ's Return (2-page Handout)
Ways to Prepare (37-page eBook)
Endnotes
[i] Pride (in us) tries to find the answer to life’s challenges in us; humility casts all cares on the One who wants to help us: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
[ii] This promise is given numerous times in scripture. The Lord wants us to know His help is always available to anyone who calls on Him for anything—lavishly available (“bestowing His riches”). For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him: For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12-13
[iii] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might… Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:10 and 13
[iv] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5