Choosing the "lowest room"*

If the mighty meekness our Master
In his own life exemplified,
Lived in ours, will keep us
Less responsive to the prince of this world
From unavoidable unhappiness free,
Then let our daily asking be,
Give me, O God, more humility --
That true humility Jesus showed.
Didn't he seem at times
To almost be hiding himself,
Never trying to be a "star",
Wanting invariably instead
To see his Father glorified?
So let us choose the "lowest room"*
Be unpretentious in what we do and are.
It is this not seeking things for ourselves,
Living to honour, not us, but Him
That keeps us from the pride
That makes of life,
Not His heaven, but a hell,
That enables us to walk the Christly path,
Touching other lives
More widely than we can tell.


*Luke 14:7-11

"And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher:  then shall thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

                                                         JESUS