Oh Lord It’s Hard to be Humble
The world’s definition of success says “be all that you can be.” The American ideal is to be “self sufficient.” However, the Bible says, “not that we are sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.” The devil uses the same tactic today that he used to seduce Eve in the Garden of Eden: “You don’t need God. Go ahead and indulge your flesh, disobey God’s commandment and eat of the forbidden fruit. Then you shall be as God knowing good from evil.” The fall of man was when Eve believed the devil’s lie that “God’s not God, you are.” Mankind has had a problem with pride ever since the fall. The antidote to pride is humility.
Let’s review the five reasons to be excited about Jesus Christ. The first is forgiveness. The second is purpose: for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has prepared in advance for us to walk in them. The third is character: when we became Christians we were born again not of the flesh but of God’s holy spirit… we have received a new nature. Jesus Christ is the vine and we are the branches… He in me and I in him. The fourth is security, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that spiritual deposit which he’s committed unto me against that day of judgement. The fifth is peace for Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.”
Humility is the prerequisite to forgiveness. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Before we can be forgiven, first we must realize that we are poor, broken, and unworthy in light of his righteousness. Sin is the nature of the carnal flesh that we inherited from Adam… However, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Even you hath he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins… for Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
Humility means that we maintain a spirit of deference, willing to place ourself in a lowly position so that we can put others before ourselves… ultimately so that we can receive from God, that which we are lacking. Humility is giving up the right to ourselves… we must decrease that he may increase. Jesus Christ himself was an example of humility. He was born, not in a palace, but in the stall of a lowly barn. He was not esteemed of men. He had none of the worldly credentials that normally accompany greatness. Humility is freedom from the need to impress others and freedom from the need to compete. Humility never puts itself first. Jesus said that the one who is in the deepest darkness is the one who mistakenly thinks he’s in the light but is really in the dark. Jesus said, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. The world tells us that our goal is to be “self actualized” with the emphasis on self. However true humility is the opposite of the world’s definition of success. True humility says “blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.” As Rudyard Kipling said in the poem “If”… If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same… then you shall be a man, my son.
First Corinthians 13 is often referred to as the “love chapter.” Love is also the character of Jesus Christ himself. Love is patient, love is kind. Love behaveth itself not unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked. Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never fails. Love and Humility go hand in hand. Humility never takes advantage of others to get ahead. Humility is the opposite of pride. According to Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
According to the world, revenge and retribution is our “right” to recompense those who have wronged us. However the scripture says, bless them that revile you and unjustly accuse you and despitefully use you… for great is your reward in heaven. To follow the Master means to give your heart to him in a fresh new way. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. The Lord is at hand. The Lord gives us grace to ask forgiveness for those to whom God has called us to minister. Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. If any man comes to bring his gift to the altar and has anything against his brother, Jesus said, “first go forgive your brother and then come and bring your gift to the altar.”
Jesus Christ himself set the example of humility. According to Phillipians 2:7-11, Jesus Christ made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ isLord, to the glory of God the Father.
The prayer of the humble says, “Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.
May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael