When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!
Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.†Luke 14:7-11 (NLT)
I have often read this Scripture and I have heard wonderful preaching on the ‘rightness’ of being humble and having the characteristic of humility.
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever Amen.†As Christians pray this as part of what we call The Lord’s Prayer. It reminds me that above all else, God is sovereign. He is the Creator of all and it is His Kingdom that is above all others. This connects me to humility. Being humble isn’t about me. It is keeping my eyes and my heart focused on how great is my LORD. That’s it. If my focus is on God and my desire is to point everyone around me to God, then neither my eyes nor theirs will be on me.
Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,†he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.†Luke 14:12-14 (NLT)
Jesus completes the circle of His teaching by reminding me of His example of love. He came to heal those who were sick. He came to love those who seemed unlovable. He loved me before I loved Him. He receives my love when I become a conduit for His love. Does Jesus’ example drive my life? What slides in front of my service to others? Too often I stubbornly hold on to what I think is most important in my life. I dismiss God’s call on my life because it would mean moving away from my family. I miss an opportunity because I put my family, my job, my wants ahead of the needs in God’s Kingdom.
I am still learning. I am grateful that God hasn’t given up on me. His Word is still fresh and alive. It teaches, encourages, convicts, enlightens, and truly does cut through me like a two-edge sword (Hebrews 4:12). When I am struggling in my “lessonsâ€, His Word lifts me and encourages me. His Spirit speaks to my spirit and tells me not to give up. “Come, let carry your burdens, Jody.†In humility, I hand them to the One, and Leave It There…
If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold,
And you have to get along with meager fare,
Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain: Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If your body suffers pain and your health you can’t regain,
And your soul is almost sinking in despair,
Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain
When your enemies assail and your heart begins to fail,
Don’t forget that God in heaven answers prayer;
He will make a way for you and will lead you safely through.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain
When your youthful days are gone and old age is stealing on,
And your body bends beneath the weight of care;
He will never leave you then, He’ll go with you to the end.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.      Charles Albert Tindley, 1916
Tindley is known as one of the “founding fathers of American Gospel music.†The son of slaves, he taught himÂself to read and write at age 17. He was a driven young man, working as a janitor while attending night school, and earning his divinity degree through a correspondence course. In 1902, he became pastor of the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the church where he had earlier been the janitor. At the time of Tindley’s death, his church had 12,500 members. The Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia was named after him. Tindley’s “I’ll Overcome Some Day†was the basis for the American civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,†popularized in the 1960’s.
(From the following website: http://www.hurricanebrassband.nl/Repertoire%20take%20your%20burden%20to%20the%20lord.htm)
