Beyond Today Daily

Table 19: Humility Is a Choice

When we're placed at "Table 19," relegated to the back, we have to remember that humility is a choice. It's a choice that can allow God to work with us.

Transcript

[Darris McNeely] Have you ever gone to an event, let's say like a wedding, and you've been put at a table that's way off in the corner, away from the front, and away from the center of attention? They made a movie about this a few years ago called "Table 19." "Table 19" at a particular wedding, that was the plot of the story, was where everybody was put back in the corner of the reception room, where the people that weren't really on the A-list of the invitees to the wedding and kind of afterthoughts were all put. And the story of the movie revolved around those people who were at table 19.

Well, we've probably all had those types of experiences. And it can be a humbling experience to find out that in life or in a situation, you're table 19, you are not at table number one. You're not at the place of honor, you're not on the front row, whatever it might be.

There's a parable that Jesus spoke to in Luke chapter 14 that teaches us something about the humility we need, it's the parable of the wedding feast. And it's this, he told a parable about those who were invited and chose the place of honor saying to them, "When you're invited by someone to a wedding feast, don't sit down in a place of honor, let someone more distinguished than you be invited by him. And he who invites you, both will come and say to you, "Give your place to this person," and you will begin with shame to take the lowest place."

So if you put yourself in table one, you're gonna be moved out ultimately, if that's not where you're supposed to be. But when you're invited Christ said, go and set in the lowest place, table 19. So that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up higher." Then you'll be honored in the presence of all who seat at the table with you, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

So lesson in humility, we have to take the table we're seated at. We have to take the seat that we have been assigned. Humility is a choice. And it can be sometimes a little bit of a bitter choice and an unwelcome choice for us but it's a necessary choice to have. Humility is a choice. And when we make that choice, then God can work with us. He can work with a humble mind because scripture says that he resists the proudful, the arrogant, and that type of an attitude with a different spirit. He puts that on hold, he puts that at table 19. Thinking of ourselves more highly when we should at times isn't valuable.

And so remember that lesson, humility is a choice. And if we're put at table 19, accept where we are, and let God guide us to eventually bring us to the front row to the first seat, or to table one. That's BT Daily. Join us next time.

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Darris McNeely

Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43 years. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible Center teaching Acts, Fundamentals of Belief and World News and Prophecy. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren.

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