Lessons from the Banquet Hall #1

#1 Be humble.
Everyone likes to be first in line, don't we? Examples of people who act like the world revolves around them can be found without great effort. In truth, we all would like things in our lives to be smooth and easy. We like to be comfortable and prefer others to change to help us out.
Jesus noticed the guests at dinner picking the places of honor at the table. He used the picture of a wedding feast to drive home the point of Luke 14:11. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The lesson is that you can't grab honor for yourself. Taking a place at the head table that is not yours will only get you moved out. Living as the only person with importance in the room may leave you as the only person in the room!
Jesus's story goes beyond the seating chart however. His lessons always reach for the heart and mind, to direct our attitudes. We need to have attitudes that think of others as more important than ourselves.

How can we develop humilty?
1) Be honest about our actions, accomplishments, and motivation. We don't need to pose to gain respect. (That respect will be lost when the truth is seen by all.) Compared with all the knowledge gathered by men, what I know is very little. Compared with the challenges overcome by so many, what I've achieved is very small.
Be honest, however. I'm not suggesting we run ourselves down, just don't boast or brag about anything we've done. Hard to do, isn't it?
Romans 12:3b "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

2) Remember the One who has given us all things. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 We aren't so big when we realize that it's all a gift.

3) Give respect to others around you. Romans 12:10b "Honor one another above yourselves."

Humility is an attitude.
"We're all in this together. I'm pulling for you!"