And thus, we come to the final chapter in the 30 week series of
BELIEVE. Like many of the the elements included in BELIEVE and THE STORY, I
have thought to myself, "I would not have included this story" or
"I wonder why Randy Frazee and/or Zondervan did this."
I wonder this morning "Why Humility?" "Hope"
and "Humility" are two of the ten key virtues included in BELIEVE
which are not found in the Galatians 5:22-23 listing of the fruit of the
Spirit. Hope is a virtue similar to faith or belief and of course listed
repeatedly in the New Testament, such as 1 Cor. 13, "faith, hope,
love."
But again, I wonder why list humility compared to all of the other
virtues of the Bible? Humility is listed as the polar opposite of
"pride" found the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, laziness,
wrath, envy and pride), contrasted within the seven heavenly virtues (purity,
temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility).
Humility in this day is a virtue sadly lacking in politics, in
friendships, in families, marriages, and even in religion. The Greek word (tapeinophorsyne) is so hard to pronounce, it would probably cause you a great deal pride if you
were to learn to say it! It literally means lowliness of mind, not in the sense
of stupidity, but in one's estimation of one's own importance.
Humility is not low self-esteem, but rather a way of lifting
others up, edifying those around us. It is a prerequisite for God to come then
and be the one of lifts us up, instead of us trying to lift ourselves up. Often
pride comes at the expense of us pushing others down to raise our own
importance.
Jesus said that the virtue of humility actually allows God to come
and lift us up (see Matt. 18:4, "Therefore whoever humbles himself as
this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven," and
Matt. 23:12, "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted.")
We may question why humility but Christ certainly does not question it as a virtue. He requires it of us.
The
following devotional comes from Zondervan.
KEY QUESTION:
What
does it mean to value others before myself?
Humility
is a driving virtue in the Christian life and community. Choosing to esteem
others above oneself encourages harmony and love. The opposite of humility is
pride. Prideful people typically believe they are better than others. They
strive to get their way at the expense of others or boast as a way of boosting
low self-esteem. When a person possesses Biblical humility they draw from
internal “God-esteem.” They have received God’s unconditional love and embraced
their inherent worth as God’s child. From this belief they are capable of
lifting others up.
Jesus
is our supreme example of humility. The God of the universe could have ridden
into our world on a white horse with a serious entourage and fanfare. Instead
he came to us as a baby born in a stable to poor parents.
As
Jesus was coming to the end of his time on earth, he wanted to impress upon his
disciples the importance of humility. He does so in an unforgettable way. (See
John 13:1-17.)
What
does God require from us? Micah, a prophet to Israel and Judah in the eighth
century BC, answered this question with convicting succinctness. What God
required then, he still requires of us today.
He has
shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To
act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Read
more in Micah 6:6–8.)
KEY VERSE:
Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3–4)
KEY IDEA:
I
choose to esteem others above myself.
KEY APPLICATION: What
difference does this make in the way I live?
The
ultimate humility is found when we place our heart in the constant position of
putting God’s glory first and seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness.
The more we immerse ourselves into the ministry of Christ to others, the more
we experience the abundant life he offers. Seeing him change lives through our
obedience is humility at its finest hour.
For
growing Christians, a strong sense of self-esteem flows from “God-esteem” on
the inside, which frees us to focus on “others-esteem.” When they enter any
conversation with a neighbor, the prayer is, Dear God, help me place this
person above myself and draw them to you. As the world becomes increasingly
self-absorbed, humility will not only be one of the most attractive and
refreshing fruit of God’s Spirit to a searching and hurting world, but also a
great blessing to our own lives in offering our hearts daily to the Lord, as we
exalt him and him alone.
