Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

In an ancient fable, a mighty oak looks down on a humble reed who does not stand in the wind, but bends down before the tempest.

In the storm, the oak falls but the reed allows itself to be blown down low enough to kiss the ground, then rise again, unbroken. This is what humility looks like. When we’re teachable, we aren’t broken by our need to always be right, knowing we don’t always have the answer. The humble can adapt to change and rising challenges far better than those so proud and rigid that even bending a little will break them. 

We need humility like this more than ever. Times are uncertain and evolving quickly with a lot we’re still figuring out. In the meantime, we’re dealing with an overwhelming amount of data and information. This ambiguity can leave us feeling lost. However, you can prepare yourself for ambiguity’s chaos by cultivating agility. 

Living with agility means being humbly adaptable like the river reeds. Cultivating this type of flexibility makes us more resilient. Instead of being paralyzed by a lack of clarity, we can embrace life’s unknowns by brainstorming and communicating to find solutions. We can always learn and grow, pivoting when needed, anchored by a deep faith in Jesus and His love. 

The Bible teaches us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:4-5). Let God lead you by listening to His voice and remaining teachable and humble in your interactions with others. 

For a free Bible study on Living a Life of Peace in Troubled Times, go to guidelines.org/peace. To hear this again, read or share this, visit guidelines.org.