Humility

Humility

Humility must be nurtured. The best example is Jesus.

Humility is the denial of self. When we start off with our focus on, I, I, I. I want to do this or that. I will not do this or that. It’s all about me, (self-centeredness), then humility is nowhere to be found. It is only in the realization that I am not perfect and can fail at any point that I can say, “I need help, or I cannot do this on my own.” Self has all the vices of the human fallen nature. Pride fullness, defensiveness, selfishness, it’s my way or the highway. I’m in control. These attitudes make you a dam, which stops the living water to flow in and through you. These view points lead to idolatry and atheism. Let me define these two words first;

Atheism: disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods. Also, A rejection of belief in deities or a deity.

Idolatry: the worship of an idol, an idol is anything that replaces the one, true God. Like self.

When we hold ourselves above God we become idolaters and atheistic. Idolaters as we worship self before God and atheistic as we lack faith in God and His promises. One example is simply revenge. (!) I cannot believe that so and so did that to me! I am going to …and get him back for that. This is human nature crying out. Pride, defensiveness angry, wrath and malice. But God’s word says in Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (KJV). Therefore if we take matters into our own hands we do not believe. We have a lack of faith in God. We do not believe God’s Word. Humility is smashed and self is risen above. It is atheism and idolatry of self… It grieves me to think that I, I, I can still raise its evil head within me knowing it is like denying Christ and God the Father. (!) Yet it is this grief that opens the door to humility once again, and lets the Son’s light back into my life that I may remember the joy and hope God can bring when I humble myself and let God’s revenge repay those who have despitefully used me… God knows best, I will submit to Him because if I don’t I am calling Him a liar. I will become atheistic, that is lacking belief in His Word, even rejecting His Word. So self is then both atheist and idolater. Atheist because we reject God; and it is idolater because it is its own idol.

Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”(KJV). We must deny self even as Christ denied Himself. He put Himself under the authority of God the Father. He left His position of complete deity and was made a little lower than the angels, fashioned in the likeness of man; His own creation to serve and deny self, to become obedient even to the death of the cross for all mankind. True humility, a total denial of self for others… I hope a glimpse or a glimmer of humility is piercing through self even now. Let it so shine into your heart.

We must take some steps to let humility in and push self out.

The first step is to place yourself under the authority of another. This step gives humility a glimmer of hope. It allows the son (s o n) to shine in and change our view point from I, I, I myself and self-centeredness to deny, deny, deny myself and Christ–centeredness. The more we deny self, the more authority we give to Christ, the more God can deploy us to do His work. The more work we do for God, the more joy we will receive. Which leads to the vision of hope. Hope that I can overcome self, the world and the devil with God.

Second we must arm ourselves with the Word of God, so when self raises up we have the arsenal to knock it back down.

1. I hate that guy. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15 KJV). Checkmate! Self be quiet and listen to God’s Word.

Humility helps our faith be place God’s Word before us, to worship God and His Word so faith can hear and obey it. Humility leads us in the knowledge of ourselves. We recognize we can do nothing good without God because self is prideful, defensive and self-centered. Humility helps us to cry out to God. Help me Lord from my own self. In essence we are crying out for salvation. For a Saviour. For authority to be placed over us so we can win and not lose.

I don’t know about you, but usually when my pride gets in the way it pushes others out and may even dissolve friendships, relationships, business partnerships and my relationship with God because I have become atheistic and an idolater. I must remember that I lose when I do this. I must place myself back under God’s authority, His Word, and His promises. Then and only then can I overcome self, the world, and the devil and become victorious for God and His Kingdom.

Let us become Christ-centered and not self-centered. Remember to place self under the authority of God and His Word. Open your heart to humility, pick up your cross and die daily to self. Let humility shine into your heart. It will be the door which allows the living water to flow in you and through you. (!) It will strengthen your faith, lead you to Christ, and lead others to God.

In Christ,

Greg