By Charmaine Chvala-Smith, Graceland University, Seminary Chaplain

…walk humbly with your God.

Humbleness… humility… what is it? Some need to see it to understand. Others overhear it in unfeigned words; still others need to feel it lived out near them.

Visiting a congregation in a distressed part of the city, we were impressed by how the pastor honored the needs of neighborhood children who had little experience “doing” church. The pastor’s husband quietly assisted her, managing the mic and providing material and emotional support. He drew no attention to himself, unobtrusively doing what was helpful and needed.

Turning to my husband I wondered, “How many people in the room do you suppose know that this man is a counselor to our denomination’s president?”

After the service I looked for the pastor’s husband, eventually finding him in the basement kitchen happily getting food ready for the simple meal that followed their worship. This has become a lasting image for me of what humility looks, sounds, and feels like.

Many voices, powers, and influencers try to tell us what is needed, or helpful, or right. How can we discern what is actually good for us, the world, and others?

The passage seems clear: “God has told you, O Mortal, what is good.” Imagine Micah 6:8 offering us these three ways to question our intentions, words, and actions each day:

Is it just?

Is it kind?

Is it focused on God and others rather than on me?

Prayer Phrase

“We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Sea of Light

Quiet and center yourself. Ask for God’s healing and guidance as you enter this time of prayerful presence. Close your eyes, breathing deeply and calmly. Imagine that you are floating in a beautiful sea of light that rises and falls with each cycle of your breath. The golden light of this sea buoys you up, so you float effortlessly. Waves of light carry and wash over you, bringing wholeness and peace. Rest in the sea of God’s love, then offer a prayer of gratitude.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.