Matthew 23:11 "But he who is greatest among you shall be your
servant. 12 "And whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
God chooses humility over pride.
As God sees it, greatness comes
through humility, seeking to be a servant.
If you want to be great, seek to be humble, to be a servant.
Humility can be defined as the opposite of arrogance and pride. It is not thinking of yourself as better
than others. It is being willing to
serve others, even though you may be of a higher status. It’s taking the
backseat. It’s willing to embarrass yourself.
Human
convention is that the lesser serves the greater, the older has privilege over
the younger, that those who are first win, or bigger is better, but we like stories about the underdog
emerging—they inspire hope, and we often respond better to humility than
arrogance.
The Divine Principle
I believe we
can see a Divine principle that figures into God’s dealings with people that goes
against human convention.
Humility is
that which God values. God often
incorporates this characteristic into the choices and actions He makes. God chooses the lesser, the younger, the less
privileged to show that their opposites are not automatic or best choice.
I believe
the statement in Romans 9:13 could be understood with reference to that Divine
principle.
"Jacob
I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
First, I
think we should agree with others who say God’s choices are not arbitrary (like
flipping a coin), and second, this love and hate reference isn’t about eternal
destinies, but about priority of commitment, just like for us
to be a disciple, we must hate our family members: 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate
his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and
sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke
14:26
Romans 9:12
says, it was
said to her, "The older shall serve the younger."
Though not specifically stated as to why God chose Jacob/
Israel over Esau/ Edom, it would be in keeping with how God does things to go
against human convention which automatically determines status and roles. God often chooses the lesser over the
greater in human reckoning. And
actually, if the lesser in status of life believes God’s word while the one
with greater status in life doesn’t, God will choose the one of lesser status. If the one of lesser status in life humbles
himself, while the one of greater status in life is arrogant, God will exalt
the lesser over the greater.
With God,
there are other criteria that weigh in over the cultural norms and the things
people may commonly value.
Consider
this statement about Israel in Deutronomy 7. 7 "The Lord did not set His love on you
nor choose you because you were more in
number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8
"but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath
which He swore to your fathers
Also
consider 1 Corinthians 1: 26 For you see your
calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble , [are] [called]. 27 But
God has chosen
the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God
has chosen the
weak things of the world to put
to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the
world and the things which are despised
God has chosen , and the things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are, 29
that no flesh should glory in His presence.
How can we be Humble?
Humility
doesn’t necessarily deny the exercise of courage or wanting to improve one’s
status in life or feeling satisfaction in accomplishment. Though humility may affect how one is to
exercise these things.
Resolve to Think Differently
Humility
requires a different way of thinking about others. We must resolve to think differently and to
act different towards others. I would
actually define “repentance” as “a resolve to think or act differently”; and I
think that definition will work in most cases.
Therefore, from now on,
we regard no one according to the
flesh . Even though we have known Christ
according to the flesh , yet now we know [Him] [thus] no
longer.
2 Corinthians 5:16
Unless one was saved at a young age, their view or understanding of Christ,
was "according to the flesh.” This “according to the flesh” would best be
understood as from a “worldly point of view.”
Before salvation, one’s view of Christ is defective as to the Divine purpose. That viewpoint mostly changes when one
becomes a believer and grows in the grace and knowledge of Christ—I say mostly
because one must believe in Jesus for salvation, which requires some ability to
be persuaded concerning who he is and what he did by dying on the cross.
One might
take this “according to the flesh” to mean we don’t regard anyone according
to their earthly existence, but how
would that apply to Christ? It
makes better sense to see here the “according to the flesh” as referring to the one who is knowing and how they are knowing--being
a worldly perspective or wisdom, see 2 Cor 1:12. It true we will look at people and judge them
by certain externals and standards—age, looks, sex, race, achievements. And those things will influence our actions,
but we need to look at people from a different perspective and need—Paul said
Christ “died for all.”
This resolve
to think and act differently towards others involves humility. By saying it involves humility, am I forcing
an idea here? Not if you consider this
is both an act of service and recognition that you are not better than others,
since all have sinned, and Christ died for all.
As a
believer, one’s thinking of others should not be from a worldly point of view,
often being one of criticism and demeaning. A proper way of thinking about others is their
eternal well being. Christ died for them
and desires their salvation.
With reference to your relationship
with other believers…
One should
also accept their function in the Body
of Christ as one doing the part God would have them do.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think
[of] [himself] more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as
God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have
the same function, 5 so we, [being] many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members of one another. Romans 12
I believe
Zane Hodges is probably on the right
track in his Romans commentary when he interprets this word “think” as “aspire”
and the “measure of faith” is “faith’s portion,” being the gift or function one
has in the body. Accept the role you
have. And recognize that you are just
part of the collective; each has a part.
Hodges: “I say then
through the grace that has been given to me, to everyone who is among you, not
to aspire beyond that which one ought to aspire, but to aspire to what is
sensible—each person as God has distributed faith’s portion.”
--Act accordingly
Do acts of humility.
Take the back seat. Take time to
help someone who may be of a lower position or status. Be a servant.
James 1:27: Pure and
undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows
in their trouble.
Of course,
Jesus is the primary example for us: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And
being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to
death-- even death on a cross! Philippians 2:3-8 NIV
-- God may have to intervene
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by
the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a
messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 2Cor 12:7 (NKJV)
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord
three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, "My
grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2Cor 12:8-10 (NKJV)
When you are
humble, then you have a stronger, more
effective witness. You are less
threatening—not as someone who is seeking to take advantage of another because
of their circumstances. And the focus is
more on the truth of God and its impact on a person’s life (which people see in
the humble believer’s life).
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