Joy in Humility
"Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not
count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself
nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And
being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8, English
Standard Version)
What's the number one human sin? I poled one
hundred people in a survey (not really!), and the number one answer
was...PRIDE. The dictionary defines pride as: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value;
self-respect. Now, based on this definition, why is
pride a sin? Because it focuses on self. A proud person doesn't
need anyone else's help. A proud person relies on their own ability
to accomplish things. At its best, pride manifests itself in sure
self-confidence; at its worst, it manifests itself in boastful arrogance.
God hates all sin, but pride is one of the
"biggies": "Pride
goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs
16:18). Why does God hate pride? Because pride
says, "I don't need you, God!" Now, just take a moment to
consider the utter foolishness of this statement. Did we give ourselves
life? Can we control when, where and to whom we are born? Can we
control our circumstances in life? Can we determine how long we will
live, and in what manner we will die? The answer to all of these
questions is a resounding NO! The only thing we can control are
the choices we make to the situations presented us. When we
reflect on life a moment, we should realize that there is very little in this
life we do control.
Now what is the cure for pride? The best cure
for the sine of pride is a healthy dose of godly humility. I know for
many humility is an ugly word, but God loves a humble person: "For you save a humble people, but the haughty
eyes you bring down" (Psalm 18:27). And just in case
you need a New Testament reference, here are two: "Whoever humbles himself like this child is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4); and "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he
will exalt you" (James 4:10).
Before we look at what humility is, I want to look at what humility isn't. Humility isn't self-deprecation; it isn't
saying, "I'm such a worm, I'm no good, I suck!" That is false
humility, which in reality is a form of pride. Humility, in contrast, is
not low self-esteem, but no
self-esteem. A humble person doesn't draw attention to
himself either positively or negatively. A humble person is solely
concerned with meeting the needs of others even at their expense. The
greatest living example of true humility is none other than Jesus Christ.
In today's passage we see the extent of His humility. Let's look closely
at this passage.
First off, this passage is one of the clearest
statements in all of Scripture to the deity of Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18 and
Colossians 1:15-23 are the others), so if you run across someone who says Jesus
isn't God, point them to Philippians 2:5-11. The first phrase I want
to focus on is this one: "though
he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped." Jesus Christ, the second person of the
Trinity, God of very God did not count the privileges of deity as something to
be grasped, or held on to. Here is the principle: True humility is willing to let go of all
entitlements and all privileges to do what must be done.
The second phrase is: "but made himself nothing, taking the form of
a servant, being born in the likeness of men." Jesus
Christ emptied Himself of all rank and privileges and took a servants
role. Here's the second principle: True humility is willing to become a servant to the needs of others.
Jesus said in Mark's gospel: "For
even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve" (Mark 10:45).
The final phrase I want to examine is: "he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death." Jesus Christ was humbly obedient. To
whom, you may ask? To God the Father (cf. John 5:30). Jesus was
obedient to the Father even to the point
of death. Here's the final principle: True humility is willing to give one's life for the
needs of others. The second half of Mark 10:45 is: "and to give his life as a ransom for
many."
There is joy in practicing true humility,
First, when we practice true humility we expressing God's love toward
others. God's love is a love that meets needs. Secondly, when we
practice true humility, God will exalt us. Thirdly, when we practice true
humility, we are never more like Christ. That is why Paul says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is
yours in Christ Jesus." May our lives be lives that
manifest true humility!
Have a blessed day!