I’m thinking this cartoon relates well to our humility focus this week.
Category: PASSION Reflections
Humility Before God, Part 2
Humility before God is a right recognition of who God is and who I am that leads to a right response. We must recognize that God is our Creator and we are his creatures. We must recognize that God is holy and we are not. From that right recognition flows a right response. Here are four:
Humble Obedience (Luke 17:7-10)
A servant does what he is commanded to do. If God is our Creator, if he made us, then he has the right to command us. As we recognize this, we should humbly obey. Pride, of course, rears its ugly head here and says, “I don’t want to obey. I want to do my own thing. Don’t tell me what to do.” Pride exalts us to God-status. But humility calls us to humbly obey the one true God.
Humble Service (Luke 17:7-10)
If God made us, then we belong to him. As such we owe him our service. It is simply our duty. We don’t deserve any prize, recognition, praise, or anything for our service. We simply are doing what we should do. This is humble service.
John the Baptist is a prime example of humble service. Here is a man with one of the greatest roles in all of history, but he doesn’t get a big head. He says that Jesus is greater, mightier, worthier. Indeed, he says that he is not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal (Luke 3:18). In other words, he is not worthy to do serve Jesus in the most menial task. Nor are we. But Jesus calls us to serve him. What a privilege! As we grasp this we begin to offer humble service.
But John goes further. He says Jesus must increase but he must decrease (John 3:30). In other words – don’t look at me, look at him. It isn’t about me. It is all about him. Pride makes us forget this. Pride makes it all about me. Pride make my service about what I can get out of it. But it is all about him. When we grasp this, we can follow John in offering humble service that points others to Jesus.
Humble Gratitude (Luke 17:11-19)
One cleansed leper returns to humbly fall at Jesus’ feet and give him thanks. As we saw in the last section, we deserve nothing. But Jesus blesses us like he blessed the leper. As we recognize who God is and who I am, we ought to be amazed at God’s blessings. What is man that you are mindful of him? (Psalm 8:4). The more we grasp this right recognition, the more we will be incredibly grateful and humbly give thanks. Pride is not grateful. Pride demands. Pride expects. Pride thinks it deserves; it is entitled. As long as we think this way, we can never be grateful. Gratitude only flows from humility.
Humble Confession (Luke 18:9-14)
The tax collector had a right recognition of who God is and who he is. So he offers humble confession: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (v13). The Pharisee is caught up in his own good works. He is impressed with himself and thinks his good works impress God. That is pride. Pride thinks we are pretty good on our own. Pride forgets we are sinners. A right recognition that God is holy and I am not will lead to humble confession.
The Great Reversal (Luke 18:14)
One final amzing thing. If we walk in pride, God will humble us. But if we humble ourselves before our holy Creator, he will exalt us. He will exalt us with his love (see Psalm 103). And in his love, he humbled himself to become one of us. In love, he humbled himself to die on a cross for our sins that we might be forgiven and declared holy in his sight. And as we humbly believe in what Jesus did for us, we are exalted. We are exalted to a relationship with God. We are exalted as temples of God who now lives in us. We are exalted as children of God. We are exalted to a great inheritance.
Humility is a right recognition of who God is and who I am that leads to right responses. And the amzing thing is, if we humble ourseves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt us.
Humility Before God, Part 1
Humility before God begins with a right recognition of who God is and who I am, and this right recognition is grounded in Creation and the Fall.
In creation, we are reminded that God is the Creator and we are his creation. God exists by himself, but we exist only because God made us. God is not dependent on anything, but we are entirely dependent upon God. So a right recognition of who God is and who I am is a recognition that God is the Creator and I am his creation. He is God and I am not.
In the Fall, we are reminded that there is a great moral divide between us. God is holy, without blemish or spot. He is absolutely perfect and without sin. And I am not. I am a sinner. I fail to love God as I should. I fail to love people as I should. I think thoughts I ought not think. I say words I ought not say. I do things I ought not do. Even my best deeds are tainted with sin. With Paul we say that all our righteousness is rubbish. We cannot begin to meet God’s holiness. So a right recognition of who God is and who I am is a recognition that God is holy and I am not.
A right recognition then means that God is greater than I am in both the realms of reality and morality. The starting point of humility before God is keeping this recognition in mind throughout each day. God is greater than I am. God is my Creator and I am his creation. God is holy and I am not. The more I recognize and believe these truths, the more I should respond rightly to them; that is, the more I should walk in humility.
Humility is found in a right recognition which leads to a right response. We will explore that right response in the next post.
Wondrous
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
– Psalm 40:5
Father, help us to grasp your wondrous deeds and thoughts toward us.
Help us grasp how great you are – that nothing on this earth compares with you.
Help us to grasp so that we cannot help but proclaim to all who will listen.
Overwhelm our hearts to the point that it overflows out of our mouths.
For your glory. Amen.
While We Wait
In Luke 21, Jesus tells us about the coming destruction of Jerusalem (which happened in AD 70) and his coming again (sometime yet in the future). Several responses flow for us while we wait for his return:
Do not be led astray (v8). People will claim to be the Christ. They will claim to know when Christ is coming back. We see this today. Don’t go after them. Don’t be led astray.
Do not be afraid (v9). There will be wars, famines, earthquakes, and all kinds of disasters. We see these things today. But the world is not spinning out of control. We don’t have to fear because God has a plan. These things must happen, but Christ is coming back. We may see rough times, but paradise is on the horizon. Don’t fear.
Bear witness (v13). Christians will be arrested, persecuted, hated, even killed. We see this around the world today. But this will provide opportunities to bear witness. We must continue to tell others about Jesus.
Remember our hope (v18-19). Though persecuted and even killed, not a hair on our heads will be harmed and we will gain our lives. My interpretation is that Jesus is pointing to our resurrection bodies. Things may get rough here, but remember your hope of the resurrection.
Endure (v19). Persevere. Press on. Stand firm. Be patient in affliction. Be steadfast in your faith. Don’t give up. Don’t turn away. Don’t lose your faith. Endure through the trials looking toward the reward.
Believe (v20-24). Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, and it happened just as he said it would. This is a faith-booster for us. If his first prophecy came true, we have every reason to believe that his second prophecy will come true too. We can believe that Christ is coming back just as he said he would.
Rejoice in your hope (v28). When we see the signs of his coming, Jesus tells us to “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” We don’t need to freak out like the rest of the world. Rather we should rejoice – Christ is coming soon!
Be alert (v34-36). Don’t let your heart be weighed down with sin our worries. Don’t lose sight of your hope! Stay awake. Pray! Keep looking to Christ. One day we will stand before him. Stay alert!
Jesus is coming soon! Let’s live each day in light of his coming.
Family Worship Month
I have mentioned before the idea of Family Worship – a regular time for the family to gather together around the Word and prayer. My family has been doing it for several years – and it is a highlight of our kids’ day.
To help promote the idea, some folks have declared January to be Family Worship Month, and January 29 to be Family Worship Sunday. Their blog has numerous articles from various Christian leaders (living and dead) on the importance of Family Worship. Well worth checking out.
For a brief but helpful book introducing Family Worship, pick up Donald Whitney’s book.
God Has Been Gracious
I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. – Genesis 32:10
God has dealt graciously with me. – Genesis 33:11
…the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone. – Genesis 35:3
This is Jacob’s testimony.
Looking at his life, it is clear Jacob was not worthy,
and yet God dealt graciously with him.
Is this not our testimony as well?
Looking at our lives, we are not worthy either,
but God has dealt graciously with us.
He showers us with his steadfast love.
He remains faithful to us.
He answers our prayers.
He is always with us.
Sure, we will have difficult days. Jacob did too.
And yet we can see God’s grace in the trials
as well as in the blessings.
Truly, God has dealt graciously with us!
Cleaning His House
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold.
– Luke 19:45
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.
– 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Jesus came to his temple and found what should not have been there,
so he began to drive those things out.
You are his temple today.
When he comes to his temple, does he find what should not be there?
Are there common sins he wants to drive out?
Are there idols he wants to drive out?
Are there wrong priorities he wants to drive out?
Will you cooperate with him in driving those things out?
Our Treasure and Our Pearl
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
– Matthew 13:44-46
Is Jesus the treasure and pearl for whom you would give all,
or is he merely an add-on to your life?
Pray For Your Pastor
You ought to pray for those whom the Holy Spirit has made overseers over you. This is what Saint Paul begs again and again of the churches to whom he writes…surely, if the great Saint Paul, that chosen vessel, that favorite of heaven, needed the most importunate prayers of his Christian converts, much more do the ordinary ministers of the gospel stand in need of the intercession of their respective flocks.
– George Whitefield
(Taken from George Whitefield Daily Readings edited by Randall J. Pederson)
Brian J. Mikul 