WHEN IT COMES TO HUMILITY, I BELIEVE J. OSWALD SANDERS, HAD A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE IN HIS BOOK “SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP” WHERE HE WROTE, “THE GREAT FAULT…IS THAT NO ONE LIKES TO BE SECOND. THE WORLD HAS YET TO SEE WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF EVERYONE LOST THE DESIRE TO GET THE GLORY. WOULDN’T IT BE A MARVELOUS PLACE IF NOBODY CARED WHO GOT THE CREDIT?”
OUR WORLD REALLY HAS A HARD TIME DEALING WITH GETTING SECOND PLACE OR PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE. IN FACT, IT WAS THE LATE RACING LEGEND DALE EARNHARDT, SR. THAT COINED THE PHRASE “SECOND PLACE IS THE FIRST LOSER.”
IT WAS NO DIFFERENT IN THE DAYS OF JESUS WITH SOCIETAL NORMS AND STATUSES. IF YOU WERE INVITED TO THE “RIGHT HOMES” AND IF YOU WERE SEATED IN THE “RIGHT PLACES,” THEN PEOPLE WOULD KNOW HOW IMPORTANT YOU REALLY WERE.
THE WHOLE EMPHASIS WAS TO MAINTAIN A REPUTATION WITHOUT REGARD TO BUILDING CHARACTER. IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO “BE SEEN” SITTING IN THE RIGHT PLACES WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAN IT WAS TO HUMBLY LIVE THE RIGHT KIND OF LIFE. THEY HAD REPLACED HONOR WITH EGOTISTICAL EXALTATION.
I THINK ALBERT EINSTEIN GAVE SOME GREAT ADVICE WHEN HE SAID, “TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS, BUT TRY TO BECOME A MAN OF VALUE.” SUCCESS THAT COMES ONLY FROM SELF-PROMOTION IS TEMPORARY, BUT BESTOWED HONOR IS LASTING.
PROVERBS 25:6-7 ADDS TO THAT BY SAYING “DON’T DEMAND AN AUDIENCE WITH THE KING OR PUSH FOR A PLACE AMONG THE GREAT. IT IS BETTER TO WAIT FOR AN INVITATION THAN TO BE SENT TO THE END OF THE LINE, PUBLICLY DISGRACED!”
HUMILITY IS A QUALITY OF LIFE OPEN TO PERSONS WHO KNOW THAT THEIR WORTH IS NOT MEASURED BY RECOGNITION FROM THEIR PEERS, BUT BY THE CERTAINTY THAT GOD HAS ACCEPTED THEM JUST THE WAY HE CREATED THEM.
HUMILITY DOES NOT MEAN THINKING LESS OF YOURSELF THAN OF OTHER PEOPLE, NOR DOES IT MEAN HAVING A LOW OPINION OF YOUR OWN GIFTS AND ABILITIES. HUMILITY IS THE CHECKS AND BALANCES NEEDED IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR OWN MOTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT GOD CAN WORK HIS WILL TO THE GOOD OF OTHERS AND FOR HIS GLORY.
HUMILITY IS A FUNDAMENTAL GRACE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. IT WILL ALWAYS BE AN ISSUE OF CONFLICT WITH OUR FLESH THAT WANTS US TO OVERESTIMATE OR INFLATE OUR OWN IMPORTANCE.
JESUS WANTS US TO HAVE A HEALTHY BALANCE OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT EACH OTHER. JESUS IS BREAKING THE SOCIAL NORMS OF STATUS, WEALTH, POSITION, AND CLASS TO SAY WE ARE ALL THE SAME AND IN NEED OF BEING TREATED AS EQUALS.
JESUS WANTS US TO REACH OUT BEYOND OUR COMFORT ZONES AND GO BEYOND OF OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS WHO CAN EASILY RETURN THE FAVOR AND DO THE SAME THINGS FOR US.
JESUS IS NOT CONDEMING THE SERVICE AND MINISTRY TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. JESUS MAKES A POINT THAT WE SHOULD NOT LIMIT OUR PERSONAL INVESTMENTS TO AN EXCLUSIVE LIST OF THINGS WE KNOW WE’LL PROFIT FROM OR GAIN RECOGNITION.
OUR MOTIVE FOR SERVICE, SHARING AND GIVING MUST BE FOR THE PRAISE OF GOD AND NOT FOR THE APPLAUSE OF OTHERS OR FOR EARTHLY RECOGNITION. ALL THAT WE DO SHOULD BE DONE IN THE “KINGDOM CONTEXT” OF WHAT IS OF “ETERNAL VALUE.”
WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO COME BEFORE GOD IN SINFULNESS, BROKENESS AND POVERTY. WE HAVE ALL BEEN IN A POSITION THAT REQUIRED US TO ASK, IF NOT PLEAD, FOR MERCY, GRACE, PARDON AND RECONCILIATION.
WE GIVE BECAUSE WE FIRST RECEIVED. WE COMFORT BECAUSE WE HAVE KNOWN PAIN. WE NOURISH THE FAMISHED SINCE WE KNOW THE PANGS OF HUNGER. WE FORGIVE AND FORGET BECAUSE IN OUR SHAME WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED AND PARDONED.
THIS IS WHY WE POSITION OURSELVES SO THAT WE BECOME THE HANDS AND FEET OF GOD TO REACH OUT TO ANYONE IN NEED WITH THE TOUCH OF HIS GRACE AND TO WALK WITH THEM TO OFFER THE ETERNAL HOPE THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
WE DO THIS NOT ONLY TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT EXTEND OUR LIST OUT TO THE MOST UNLIKELY OF PEOPLE. IT IS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR ALL AND WILL NOT DISCRIMINATE IN OFFERING HIS SON TO THOSE WHO WILL ASK.
NO MATTER OUR SOCIAL STANDING OR CULTURAL SETTING, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GRACE TO RECEIVE OUR PARDON AND OUR SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST. GOD OFFERS HIS KINGDOM TO EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS.
THE FACT REMAINS: REGARDLESS OF OUR STATUS OR POWER, HOW WE ARE RANKED OR SIZED UP, WHAT WE OWN, WHERE WE LIVE, WHAT COLOR WE ARE OR WHAT LANGUAGE WE SPEAK, EARTHLY STATISTICS ARE ALL COVERED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
WE MUST SEE EVERYONE’S SELF-WORTH IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S ESTIMATION. ALL OF GOD’S CREATION IS BEAUTIFUL AND OF UNDIMINISHABLE VALUE TO HIM. IF WE CAN SEE OTHERS IN LIGHT OF THAT ASSESSMENT, WE CAN EQUALIZE OUR STANDING AS WE ALL POSTURE OURSELVES BEFORE THE CROSS OF CALVARY.
HUMBLE, FAITHFUL SERVICE IS BASED ON THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THE STRONG SELF-ESTEEM THAT IT PROVIDES US. THROUGH THE CROSS, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE LOVED. THROUGH THE CROSS, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE FORGIVEN. THROUGH THE CROSS WE KNOW THAT GOD HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH US AND THAT NOTHING WILL EVER SEPARATE US FROM THAT.
JESUS TOOK AWAY OUR NEED TO BE NUMBER ONE THROUGH THE CROSS. WE NO LONGER NEED TO BE GREAT IN ORDER TO PLEASE GOD. WE NO LONGER NEED TO BE “THE BEST” IN ORDER FOR JESUS TO SAVE US.
BECAUSE OF THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST, ALL OF US WILL BE GIVEN PLACES OF HONOR. NO MATTER WHAT OUR ABILITIES, LIMITATIONS OR ACHIEVEMENTS, BECAUSE WE ARE LOVED AND FORGIVEN BY GOD, WE ALL GO FROM BEING SINNERS TO WINNERS.
KNOWING WHO WE ARE, WE CAN STRIVE TO BE EXCELLENT, AND FORGET ABOUT BEING PERFECT. KNOWING THAT WE ARE LOVED AND FORGIVEN, WE CAN CONCENTRATE AND BE MORE FOCUSED ON HUMBLE AND FAITHFUL SERVICE.
HUMILITY: A CHRIST-CENTERED, REALISTIC ASSESSMENT AND COMMITMENT TO SERVE EVERYONE…THAT IS OUR “HUMBLE STATUS” IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S LOVE! AMEN.
