They didnt ordain me so Im leaving the church, Jason said with a bitterness in his voice that I had not heard before.
Ive done so much for this congregation – Ive taught Bible studies, Ive visited the sick… and how on earth did they ever ordain Selwyn? Hes a boring preacher, his Bible knowledge is weak and hes unfriendly!
Jasons resentment was a surprise to me but something far more serious was also surfacing – pride. Pride the kind that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17) – is an overestimation of oneself and an underestimation of others. In Proverbs 3:34 King Solomon writes that God mocks proud mockers. God opposes those who live in ways that cause them to miss out receiving from him. All of us struggle with pride which is often so subtle that we are not even aware of its influence. But, Solomon continues, God gives grace to the humble. We have a choice. We can let pride or humility guide our thoughts and behaviour. What is humility and what is the key to humility? Where do we even start? How can we choose humility and receive from God all he desires to give us?
Steven K. Scott tells the story of a multimillionaire entrepreneur who had thousands of employees. Although he had everything money could buy, he was unhappy, bitter and bad-tempered. He was disliked by his employees and even his family. His wife could not take his belligerent attitude anymore and asked her pastor to meet with him. The pastor listened to him talk about his accomplishments and quickly realised that pride ruled the mans heart and mind. He claimed he had single-handedly built his company from scratch. He had worked his way through university. He boasted that he had done everything by himself and that no one gave him anything. But then the pastor asked, Who changed your nappies? Who fed you as a baby? Who taught you how to read and write? Who gave you jobs that enabled you to work your way through university? Who serves food in your companys cafeteria? Who cleans the toilets in your companys rest rooms?
The man hung his head in shame. Moments later, with tears in his eyes, he said, Now that I think about it, I havent accomplished anything by myself. Without the kindness and efforts of others, I probably wouldnt have anything. The pastor said to him Dont you think they deserve a little thanks?
That mans heart was transformed, seemingly overnight. In the months that followed he wrote thank-you letters to every one of his employees and every person he could think of who had made a contribution to his life. He not only felt a deep sense of gratitude, he began to treat everyone around him with respect and appreciation. Within a year he was a different man. Joy and peace had replaced the anger and contention in his heart. He looked years younger. His employees loved him for treating them with the honour and respect that true humility engenders.1
Products of Gods initiative
In this story we have the key to humility. Just as the entrepreneur realised he was nothing without the help of others, humilitys starting point is admitting we are nothing without God. We had nothing to do with our creation and we cant boast or claim anything good about ourselves. We are products of Gods initiative. We were sinners but God took the initiative, came to us and introduced us to his incredible love (1 John 4:19). Apart from him we can do nothing. All we can do is say thank you and rest in the truth of who we are in Jesus Christ accepted, forgiven and unconditionally loved.
A different way of measuring greatness
How can I be humble? we ask. Proverbs 3:34 is so true and relevant that almost 1000 years after Solomon wrote these wise words the apostles James and Peter linked them to their teachings. In a letter full of terms like submit and serve, Peter writes, All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another (1Peter 5:5). The metaphor Peter uses pictures a servant putting on a special apron which indicated a readiness to serve. Peter was saying; All of you be ready to serve one another with humility. Undoubtedly Peter had in mind that last meal when Jesus girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples feet (John 13:4-17). The expression girded himself is the same one Peter used. Jesus put on the apron and made himself a servant of everyone. He bent down and washed their feet and in doing so he introduced another kind of life where greatness is measured by how much we serve others. Pride looks down on others and says serve me, humility gets down before others and says how can I serve you? That is backwards to everything in a world where one is encouraged to manipulate, exalt and position oneself to look better before others. We worship a humble God who kneels before his creation to serve them. Amazing!
Do as I have done for you
Humility does not mean thinking were no good or having a low opinion of our talents and character. It is certainly not pretending to be nothing and nobody. That is a twisted pride because I might just be hoping that someone will say how humble I am! Humility means not being defensive, not always having the last word and not putting down others to make ourselves appear superior. Pride is puffing ourselves up independently of God to set ourselves above God and away from God. Humility is submitting ourselves to God and recognizing our total dependence on him. It means turning our eyes away from ourselves and on to God who loves us and even sees us better than we can see ourselves.
After Jesus washed his disciples feet he said; Do as I have done for you. He wasnt saying that the only way to serve is by washing feet but he was setting them an example of how to live. Humility is constantly and deliberately being on the lookout for ways to serve. It is accepting the reality that I am, by the grace of God, his container, his expresser and his manifestor in the world.
Mother Teresa exemplified doing humility. She said that she saw the face of Jesus in the face of everyone she helped. We may not be called to be the next Mother Teresa but we simply need to become more attentive to the needs of others. And whenever we are tempted to think too highly of ourselves it would be good to remember the words of Archbishop Helder Camara: When I am about to go out and face a huge audience which is applauding me and cheering me, I turn to Christ and say to him simply, Lord this is your triumphal entry into Jerusalem! I am just the little donkey you are riding on.
1 Steven K. Scott, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived p214-216
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