The Old Testament adds a very positive connotation to humility by telling us that God literally lives with the humble.
For this is what the high and loft One says -
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit...
Isaiah 57:15
Why then, I wonder, do we not beg God to humble us?
In the fourth chapter of Ephesians, Paul encouraged us to "walk in a manner worthy of our calling" (v.1). Do you know what your "calling" is? We have all been called, as believers, to be Christ's representatives here on earth. He wants a waiting world to be able to see Jesus IN us and THROUGH us as we live out the daily reality of our lives. In effect, Paul is urging us to let how we ACT match what we say we believe.
Paul continues in the next verse (Eph.4:2) by pointing out that we can accomplish this by being humble, gentle, patient and understanding. That's not always easy, is it?
The week I was preparing to teach this lesson had been a difficult one for me. It was the third week since my car had burned. There looked like little hope of it getting repaired any time soon. I was tired of borrowing vehicles or depending on someone else to drive me where I needed to go. I wanted my independence back. My patience was wearing thin. Now, I understand that the "difficulties" involved in not having a car pale terribly in comparison to serious difficulties like having a gravely ill child or facing a cancer diagnosis. But you know what, sometimes it's the "little" things that we allow to stress us the most. Sometimes it's the things that are least important in the grand scheme of life that steal our joy quickest. At any rate, as I began studying this passage in Ephesians, the Holy Spirit lost no time in convicting me of not having been very humble, gentle, patient, understanding - or loving - all week.
Jesus set the perfect example of humility, gentleness, patience and understanding for us at the celebration of His last Passover meal with His disciples when He girded Himself with a towel and washed their feet. John 13:13-15 records:
"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another's feet.
I have set you an example that you should do
as I have done for you."
Someone defined humility as:
knowing ourselves, accepting ourselves, and BEING ourselves to the glory of God.
God doesn't want us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. BUT - He doesn't want us to think less of ourselves than we ought to either! Do you see that illustrated in what Jesus said, "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am"? Jesus had an accurate estimate of who He was. He humbly spoke that truth. He was their Teacher and their Lord. He expressed His inner attitude of humility in the gentleness of washing their feet. I wonder how many times I fail to have an accurate estimate of who I am. I wonder how many times I think I am being humble when I discount or deny the true evaluation of who I am. I wonder how many times a wrong estimate of who I am keeps me from serving others as Jesus would have me do.
It seems to have become acceptable in Christian circles these days - especially among women - to talk about our personal struggles with low self-esteem or a negative self image. We may even tend to think our "less than" mentality is righteous and humble. At least we're not haughty and proud like some. We KNOW that's not humility. Right? Yes, that IS right. Thinking more of ourselves than we should and being prideful and arrogant are not marks of humility. But neither is thinking LESS of ourselves than we should!
Back in the 70's and 80's they called low self esteem an "inferiority complex." I can remember putting myself in that category. Then one day I heard a message by Peter Lord that blew me away. He said, "You think you're so humble and meek because you have an inferiority complex. The truth is, you're just full of stinkin' SELF!" OUCH!
God wants my humility displayed in a true estimate of who I am. His Word tells me that I am richly blessed. It tells me I was chosen in Him before the foundation of the earth. It tells me that He loves me unconditionally and accepts me completely. It tells me that God has literally adopted me into His family and I have all the rights of an heir. It tells me that He gave His One and Only Son to redeem me. It tells me He forgives all my sin (including being a grumpy, selfish woman who wanted her independence and a car repaired more than she wanted to be kind, loving and generous). His word tells me I am set apart for HIM. And all those things about me I've just listed from God's Word are all found in Ephesians 1. Think how much the ENTIRETY of God's Word has to say about who we are!
If I am content to whine about my poor self image and fail to walk in the truth of what God's Word says about me, I am living in UNBELIEF. Ouch, again!! We behave on the basis of what we believe. If I do not believe what God's Word says about me, my attitudes and actions will reflect that in low self-esteem. So, I ask you this - if we buy into the lie of thinking less of ourselves than God's Word says about us, aren't we dishonoring God's Word? Aren't we saying His Word is not true? Isn't that UNBELIEF???
God has begun showing me how many things in my life have had their roots in unbelief. All the time I wasted in the wilderness of depression wallowing in despair - ARGH! Do you know what the root of despair and depression is? UNBELIEF!!
Oh, sweet sisters, do you know what UNBELIEF really is? SIN - pure and simple - SIN! So what do we do about it? First, confess it. (1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
Second, be like the man who brought his son to Jesus for healing. When Jesus asked him if he believed He could heal the boy, the father replied, "I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
Third, replace the lie with the truth. Whatever the lie may be that keeps you from walking in genuine humility . . . whatever the lie is that keeps you feeling "less than" . . . whatever the lie is that keeps you from seeing yourself like God sees you - replace that lie with the TRUTH. Find the verse(s) in God's Word that speaks truth to that lie.
Then, rehearse that truth. Write it on index cards. Write it on post-it notes. Tape it to the dashboard of your car. Tape it to your bathroom mirror. Hang it on the refrigerator door. Carry it with you in your jeans pocket. The point is, get the truth of God where you will see it OFTEN. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Rehearse the truth over and over until it becomes a permanent part of your belief system.
God wants us walking before Him in humility. He wants the watching world to see Jesus in our inner attitude of humility that express itself toward them in gentleness. He doesn't want us to think more of ourselves than we should but He sure doesn't want us to think LESS of ourselves than we should. Make it your business to KNOW the truth of what God's Word says about you and live your life in the light of that truth.
I don't know about you, but "humble pie" sounds like a pretty tasty dessert to me! Lord, help me today to lay aside unbelief that focuses on self and walk humbly in Your truth. Help me know myself, accept myself, and BE myself FOR YOUR GLORY!
1 comment:
Maybe I've told you this already...maybe not...can't remember. I am teaching through the book of Esther...one chapter a week....in my ladies Sunday school class.
Last week I brought out how Haman was so stuck on himself that he could not think of anyone that the King would want to honor more than himself. I said that even though it's bad to think way too highly of yourself that, at the other end of the spectrum, it's also not good to always be degrading yourself. After class one of the younger ladies came to me and said that she had been reading last week about "humility" and that she found a good definition was not that someone thinks "little" of themself, but that they just "don't think of themself at all". She went on to say that while I was teaching our lesson she thought about how not only thinking too MUCH of ourselves but also thinking too LITTLE of ourselves is a symptom of PRIDE. Whether we think too much or too little, we are still thinking of me, me, me and that is pride....which is the exact opposite of humility.
And that was pretty much the theme of your post today. Very interesting. I'm going to share this with my student. She will like reading it.
God bless you,
Marilyn
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