HUMILITY. There have been moments when I have escaped myself and been fully present for someone else.

Transcription

1 1 HUMILITY I have this dream that one day I will escape the little world of me. The prison door of self-centeredness swings open and I am free. Free to serve others, free to give myself away, free to risk, free to fail, free to forgive those who have wronged me, free to do what the moment calls for not worried that what needs to be done is too small to be worthy of my time or too great for someone whose talents are so small. Free to listen to others, not needing to judge the content of their message or the tightness of their argument, not needing to defend myself against their criticism but glad to learn from whatever may be true in their words. Free to receive life s many gifts the way the earth receives the rain. I have this dream that the bars of self-importance and the bars of self-doubt both created by an ego that constantly needs to be reassured and protected, I have this dream that one day they simply dissolve and I step over them like a man stepping into a meadow, able to enjoy the beauty of the world, lost in the wonder of the moment free. I think I have this dream because I have known such moments when I forget myself and I am completely available to another person, not worried about how much time it s taking or what I need to say next or or whether I can solve his problem. There have been moments when I have escaped myself and been fully present for someone else.

2 2 And there have been times when my self-centeredness has vanished and I have been more aware of the presence of God than the needs of my ego, only to discover that it s in those selfless moments that I have felt most alive and most aware. So, I know it s out there, this dream of mine, like an oasis shimmering in the desert. It s a place of beauty that provides refreshment and life. It s called humility. And it brings peace and freedom. Humility is one of the words we need to write upon our hearts. It makes our lives better. It makes us available to God and to others. And we need to write humility onto our hearts because humility was written into the heart of Jesus. The story of God at work in the world, the big story that has changed the course of history and transformed our lives is the story of humility Philippians : Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

3 3 The big story is the story of God in the person of Jesus Christ humbling himself, giving up his rights and his comforts and ultimately his life to serve and save those who were lost and undeserving of his love. Humility was written upon the heart of Jesus before he left heaven to enter our world. It was humility that allowed him to be born a vulnerable infant in a manger. It was humility that caused him to come to us to serve rather than be served. It was humility that compelled him to live a life that pointed to the glory of the Father. It was humility that moved him to take a towel and a basin of water and wash the feet of his disciples. And it was humility that enabled him with joy to embrace the cross and die a shameful death. At the heart of the greatest life ever lived was enough humility that he could forget himself, serve others and be obedient to the Father. And if we are to live truly great lives that look like the life that Jesus lived, we will need to have humility written upon our hearts, as well. There s another reason we need to write humility into our hearts. And that s because the opposite of humility is pride. And no other attitude does so much to destroy our relationships and isolate us from others, create anger and resentment in our spirits, and separate us from God as does pride. And nothing else makes us look so childish and small. Little men trying to look big nothing makes us look so foolish as pride. I wish we had time to talk about pride. But instead I ll show you this one clip. This is from the remake of True Grit. Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges, and a Texas Ranger, played by Matt Damon, are both chasing the same criminal who killed Mattie Ross father.

4 4 They don t much care for each other but fate has caused them to team up kind of. They have already been in one shootout and the Matt Damon character is certain that Rooster because of his poor aim shot him in the shoulder. So we have a drunk, one-eyed fat man and a one-armed Texas Ranger both trying to impress the other and save their pride. Clip: True Grit Like I say, I wish we had time to look at pride. But let me leave it at this. If you are afraid that being humble will make you look weak, be assured that pride will make you look like a clown. Back to humility. It s easy to misunderstand what it means to be humble. THE NONBIBLICAL VIEW OF HUMILITY I like what the author Fran Lebowitz wrote in Metropolitan Life. Fran Lebowitz: Humility is no substitute for a good personality. No personality, no strength, no self-respect. Never speaking up or out. Not making waves or even rocking the boat. Cowering and timid. That s as good as this wrong view gets when it defines humility.

5 5 Usually it goes further and tells us that humility is putting ourselves down, feeling that we are unworthy of the good things that life offers, and never drawing attention to ourselves. Listen up, fellas. That s not the biblical view. The word meek is a synonym for humble. And meekness is a virtue that the Bible praises. Matthew 5.5: Blessed are they meek for they shall inherit the earth. But in the biblical view meekness is not weakness. Just the opposite. Meekness is strength under control. The same Greek word that is translated as meek in Matthew 5 is also used of a wild horse that has been brought under control. Think of a magnificent race horse all the strength that s in its heart, all the power that s within its being just waiting to explode. It can t wait to get on the track, run its heart out, and show the world what it can do. But its power is under the control of a rider who loves it, and cares for it, and trains it so it can perform at its highest potential. That s much closer to the biblical view of humility than the meek and mild, milquetoast terms that it s often described in. Now if you still want to be a wild horse, and run your own races; if you refuse the harness and swear that you will never be ridden, not even by God, then you are proud and not humble.

6 6 But being humble does not mean losing your strength, it means letting God control your strength and use it for a great purpose. This leads us to THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF HUMILITY The Bible holds up two men as examples of humility. One is Moses. Numbers 12.3: Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. If you know anything about Moses, you know he was a man of immense strength. Facing down Pharoah, the most powerful man in the world. Leading millions of ungrateful, complaining Israelites through the desert for 40 years. Condemning them for their rebellion, even when they threatened to take his life. Moses was not lacking in strength of character or ego. The other example of humility the Bible lifts up is the one we have looked at, the life of Jesus. Again our example is the one who spoke truth to power, who bore the burdens of others, who never cowered before the threats of men, and who did not run from the cross. C. H. Spurgeon: Never ask to be a cringing, fawning thing: ask God to make you a man those are scarce things now-a-days a man who only fears God, who knows no fear of any other kind. Do not give yourselves up to any man s power or rule, but ask of God that you may have humility towards him, which gives you the noble bearing of a Christian before others.

7 7 1. HUMILITY IS THINKING OF OURSELVES THE WAY GOD THINKS OF US. No more. No less. No different. Let s go back to our example Jesus. Matthew : Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. So Jesus says, I m your example of humility. At the same time he makes these outlandish claims about himself. John 6.35: I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 8.12: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 10.9: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. John 11.25: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. John 15.5: I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. In addition he claimed that he had authority to forgive sins (Mark 2.10); that he would judge the world (Matthew ); and if you had seen him, you had seen the Father (John 14.9). Here s the point. Our model for humility felt no need to deny his gifts, downplay his uniqueness, or present himself as less than he was. And if we are going to be humble in the same way Jesus was, it means being comfortable with our strengths, not just our weaknesses.

8 8 Tyron Edwards put it this way: Tyron Edwards: True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us. God sees our weaknesses and our sinfulness. And so should we. But God also sees our strengths and our talents. And so should we. God sees how easily we are tempted and how desperately we need the help of others. And so should we. But God also sees our potential for helping others and the wisdom we have to impart. And so should we. The noted Bible scholar William Barclay wrote: William Barclay: An honest assessment of our capabilities, without conceit and without false modesty, is one of the first essentials in a useful life. And that s what the Bible teaches. Romans : Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. In this passage you find exactly what Barclay wrote. Barclay: an honest assessment of our capabilities Romans 12: think of yourself with sober (sound, proper) judgment Barclay: without conceit Romans 12: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought Barclay: without false modesty: Romans 12: whatever your gift, know it, embrace it, and use it. The result: a truly useful life a man who knows, trusts and uses his gifts fully without being full of himself.

9 9 What are your gifts? Other than your work, what do you excel at doing? It can be a spiritual gift or a natural talent or a skill that you ve developed over the years. It can be how you help other people. I know it would be more comfortable and maybe easier for most of you to name something that you re really bad at. But if you can t say in front of others that you re really good at something without being embarrassed then you have a humility problem. The starting place for humility is not having a low opinion of ourselves and our talents or a high opinion of ourselves and our talents. It s having God s opinion of ourselves and our talents. 2. Humility is being other-focused. Humility is escaping the little world of me and my goals and my plans and my recognition into the larger world of others. A classic definition states that Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it s thinking of yourself less. Humility is not disparaging ourselves; it s forgetting ourselves. It s not putting ourselves down; it s lifting others up. It s not denying our gifts; it s celebrating the gifts and the successes that others have. It s escaping the prison of having to have our own way in order to be happy. It is the freedom to give ourselves away to others. I ve told you before that I m not that great at marriage counseling. When people tell me their problems, I know I m not supposed to say it. But almost always the right answer is: grow the heck up.

10 10 You, the one with the pants on, grow the heck up. You, the one with the skirt on, grow the heck up. But we re incompatible. Of course, you are. And that s because nobody is compatible with petty, immature, self-centered, and full of pride. Each of you, put the other one first and grow the heck up. That s almost always the right answer. At least I know that when I have problems in my marriage, it s almost always the right answer. Rob, grow the heck up, and love Peggy more than you love yourself. Romans 12.10: Be devoted to one another in love. Outdo one another in showing honor. That s humility. You re not called upon to put yourself down, but to lift the other person up. Show honor to the other person, whether it s your wife, a parent, a friend, or a co-worker. Often when I m asked to speak at weddings, I remind the couple that they are at the altar making a covenant not agreeing to a contract. And there is a huge difference. A contract says if you do something for me, I will do something for you. But if you fail to live up to your part of the bargain, I no longer have to fulfill my part of the deal. A covenant, at least the way the Bible uses the term, is altogether different. It is a commitment to fulfill our oath even if the other person fails to fulfill his or her commitment. In many areas of life, covenants make no sense at all.

11 11 When you arrange with a contractor to build a home for you, you don t want a covenant that says regardless of whether you build the house on time, according to spec, or whether you build it at all, I pledge to pay you the full amount by this day. When you re building a house, you want a contract. But when you re building a home, you don t want a covenant. You don t want a contract that says: If you love me, then I ll love you back. You want a covenant that says: I will love, honor and cherish you for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. A covenant means that my primary concern in marriage is not: Is my wife living up to the vows she took? But, am I living up to the vows I took? A covenant means that marriage is not about: Am I getting what I was promised. But am I giving what I promised to give. A contract says: I ll love you as long as you bring me happiness. That leads to insecurity and fear. A covenant says: I ll love you as long you live. That leads to security and trust. A contract asks: Are my needs being met? That leads to accusation and anger. A covenant asks: Am I meeting her needs? That leads to sensitivity and serving. Marriages that are contracts and nothing more sometimes work. They can bring happiness for a season. They can even be endured for a lifetime.

12 12 But marriages that are covenants grow and deepen and bring fulfillment and joy. And they last forever. And among the other traits necessary to fulfill the covenant we make in marriage is the humility that is able to forget yourself and remember to outdo one another in showing honor. It s thinking of yourself less and thinking of your wife more. I know it doesn t really work when one spouse give 100% and the other gives little or nothing.. But the best advice I know for marriage and any other important personal relationship is forget yourself and show honor to the other. A L Point It s humility that makes the story of me into a journey of we. Let me show you this clip from a special feature of the Director s Cut of The Natural. It s Cal Ripken, Jr. 19 time American League All Star. 2 time MVP. When he tied Lou Gehrig s record of most consecutive games played, he hit a home run. And he did the same in his next game when he broke the record that had stood for 56 years. Was voted into the Hall of fame, receiving the third highest voting percentage ever. Here s what he says about his greatest moment in baseball. Clip: The Natural, Wisdom That s character and humility. That s realizing that the story of we is more important than the story of me. That s class and that s one reason Cal Ripken, Jr., is so greatly admired and respected.

13 13 Humility isn t putting yourself down or denying your gifts or denigrating your accomplishments. It s being other focused. It s outdoing yourself in showing honor to others. 3. Humility is knowing that our talents and our possessions are gifts from God and being grateful for those gifts. I Corinthians 4.7: For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? I know that you guys work long and hard. And your success is largely due to your commitment to excellence. But I ll still ask the question that Paul asks in I Corinthians 4. What do you have that you did not receive? Your very life is a gift. Your health is a gift. Your ability to learn is a gift. Your college education, even if you paid the tuition yourself, you didn t pay for anything like all of it. Much of it, if not most of it, was a gift. ALL of your education at public schools before college was paid by someone else. Your natural talents are a gift. You may have developed them, but you didn t create them. Your job, there are men just as bright, just as hard-working who can t find work, or if they can, not at your level. 95% of the people on this planet will never earn what most of us here do

14 14 not because they aren t decent, intelligent, hard-working people, but because they weren t blessed to be born in a country like ours that provides the opportunities you ve had and that rewards production the way a capitalistic system does. What do you call that if not a gift? Your salvation is certainly a gift. Romans 5.7-8: Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Humility says not I am a self-made man but I am a God-blessed man. All that I have that matters most is a gift. And rather than being proud, I am grateful. OK Adcock It s possible to be grateful even when life doesn t turn out the way we want. When you know that you ve been given more than you deserve even if it s less than you expected. When you know that more joy is found in serving God and serving others than in being exalted before men and receiving what you thought life should give you. When you are able to forget yourself, let go of your self-importance, and not worry how others see you, but do the best you can with what you ve been given, that s called humility and that s when the prison door swings open and we escape that awful little world of me. And that is freedom.