Humility
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August 09, 2015 |
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 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
A proverb goes, "The boughs that bear most hang lowest." This proverb illustrates that the more cultivated one becomes the more humble he becomes. It is true in the Word of God. In Matthew 18:4 Jesus said, "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven". When you exalt another and lower yourself, you are deemed to be humble.
1. A humble man's attitude and blessings given to him
The more our faith grows and the more we realize God, the more humbly we confess from our heart that we are not so much as a handful of dust in comparison with our God who is higher and more vast than the universe.
No matter how many spiritual things you may have experienced, you will understand everything you have experienced is only a small piece of the whole. That's why you cannot claim self-righteousness with the human frameworks of thoughts and theories. You must break and demolish your ego.
If you become humble in your heart, you don't look at the speck or transgression of another person, but understand him. You will also consider the other person as more important than you, and try to learn from him and make his good points yours as well. Then, you will not neglect someone because of his personality nor will you be impolite to another person.
Even if the person does something wrong to you, you will advise him in love so that he can realize it on his own. A humble person is favored by people. They feel happiness and are filled with the Holy Spirit by just being with a humble person.
Because he embraces anybody with the heart like cotton, many people come and rest in him. As Proverbs 18:12 reads, "…But humility goes before honor," a humble man becomes honored by others.
2. The characteristics of a humble person
1) The words of a humble person are in modesty.
He does not humble himself or exalt another just with words, but from the heart he truly considers others as more important than he is and actively sends out words honoring them.
He does not defy or deny the words of another with the standard of his own knowledge. He does not break in or interrupt when someone is speaking, but he listens till the end. Though the words may not sound right to him, he does not immediately consider them to be wrong. He offers only God's Word that can help them discern a situation more accurately.
He does not feel offended but receives a rebuke or reprimand with thanks though a young child or his servant pointed him out. He receives it saying, "Thank you," although to him he seems to have no fault, and says, "Please pray for me to fully realize what you pointed out to me, and for me to change as soon as possible."
Suppose one of you is chastised for something that is clearly your fault. If you are not thankful, but instead you harbor ill feelings and complain about the situation, you must realize how arrogant you are.
I have not disregarded those who have little faith, but I show my loving care to them and tried to shake hands with them once more. Their faith is weak now. But they are still the precious souls that God has sent who might change into noble persons who will be qualified to enter New Jerusalem. As God sent them to me, I love and serve each of them with the heart of God.
If you accomplish that kind of heart, you make no mistakes in words. You will make others comfortable with humble words and say the only words that are good for edification according to the need of the moment. It will then be given as grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29).
2) A humble man thoroughly lowers himself and serves in everything.
You should not expect to be served because you received new church titles of respect. Jesus existed in the form of God but He lowered Himself and put on the form of a bond-servant. He truly served all men; namely, all sinners.
He demonstrated the perfect example of service in washing the feet of His beloved disciples and giving His life a ransom for all sinners. A really humble person follows the example of Jesus' service and presses himself more ardently in serving and loving brothers and sisters in faith.
Then are we to shrink back saying that we cannot do something because we lack in many things? Is it an attitude of a humble person in Christ? No! It is just a form of fleshly humbleness. A really humble person in the Lord confesses the word of Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." He becomes active and takes the lead in doing the works of God with faith and thanks for the grace of God.
When he does the works of God, he does not have the desire to control all things because he is humble in his heart. He is passionate for the works of God but does not press them upon others in his own way. He serves and helps others to be faithful with their own eagerness. If we become united in love, service and obedience in doing works of God, then we will give great glory to God.
A humble person neither boasts of his works nor is proud of them although he has taken the lead and glorified God. He confesses from his heart that it is not he but by the grace and power of God that accomplished such wonderful things, and he gives glory only to God (1 Corinthians 15:10).
3) A humble man always offers confessions of thanksgiving to God and the shepherd.
The apostle Paul expanded the kingdom of God and performed greater and more powerful works than any other of the apostles. But he confessed his thanks to God and the Lord all the time.
He confessed in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…" And he professed in Romans 14:8, "For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."
The reason he always confessed the grace was because he was so humble that he fully denied himself and wanted to glorify God alone. He never forgot the great grace of the Lord who had forgiven him for having persecuted Him. And he never forgot the grace by which he was appointed as the apostle to the Gentiles. So he could be steadfastly faithful to the last moment.
It is the same with all of us. The proof of a humble man who never loses the grace of the Lord is that he continually confesses his gratitude and he shows the deeds of his gratitude. Because that person never loses the grace but lives in the grace and the Holy Spirit's fullness, he can fulfill his duties and even do more.
In the same way, if you constantly confess your thanks for the grace, you are humbled and serve others. I hope all of you will realize this fact and always confess your thankfulness for the grace of God and the Lord in your prayers and praises.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God says in Proverbs 22:4, "The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life." To become humble in the Lord, it seems that we have to lower ourselves and die, but in the end, we are led in the pathway of all honor, glory, blessing, and thanksgiving by God's grace. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will walk in a humble way so that you can enjoy overflowing glory and blessing.
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