July 5, 1999
Vol. 2 # 27
And He said to
me, "My grace is
sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9a
"The Value of
Humility"
As I waited for a friend in the bicycle repair shop, I noticed a couple a
facetious signs. One said "Company Rules: #1. The president is always
right. #2. If the president is ever wrong, refer to rule #1." And another
quipped, "Those of you who think you know it all are particularly annoying
to those of us who do." Although they were posted in jest, we recognize the
human tendency to pride!
The theme for this month's articles is HUMILITY. Before you yawn, let me
challenge you to put aside any negative impressions about humility and
meekness. As we take a closer look, I think we will discover some secrets
about the type of disposition we need to maintain so that Christ's life is
continually expressed through us.
This virtue must have special significance, for in one of Christ's only
self descriptions He said, "I am meek and lowly of heart"(Matt 11:28).
Someone has defined humility as "the virtue of giving proper credit to God
and others for their contributions to my life". Humility is not a
minimizing of what God has done in me, for me, and through me; it is a
sober minded gratitude that gives God all the glory!
Consider Andrew Murray's comments about the humility we need as created
beings. ³When God created the universe, it was with the one object of
making the creature a partaker of His perfection and blessedness; and so
showing forth in it the glory of His love and wisdom and power. God wished
to reveal Himself in and through created beings by communicating to them as
much of His own goodness and glory as they were capable of receiving. But
His communication was not a giving to the creature something which it could
possess in itself, a certain life or goodness, of which it had the charge
and disposal. By no means. But as God is the ever-living, ever-present,
ever-acting One, who upholdeth all things by the word of His power, and in
whom all things exist, the relation of the creature to God could only be
one of unceasing, absolute, universal dependence. [The creature¹s] . . .
chief care, its highest virtue, its only happiness, now and throughout
eternity, is to present itself as an empty vessel, in which God can dwell
and manifest His power and goodness.² (Humility: The Beauty of Holiness,
NY: Revell, p. 11,12)[allusions to Heb 1:3; Col 1:17].
We may be reluctant to pray for humility because we fear some embarrassment
or failure as God's method of instruction; (Like when a prayer for patience
is followed by affliction to teach us perseverance--ouch!). Yet the
benefits of humbling ourselves before God are very beneficial to our
spiritual life.
If we value wisdom we can't afford to neglect humility. As Proverbs
counsels us:"Surely He [God] scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble." (3:34)
"When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble [is] wisdom." (11:2)
"A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor." (29:23)
"By humility [and] the fear of the LORD [Are] riches and honor and life." (22:4)
In order to fully appropriate Christ as our life, we must turn away from
the "self-life". Paul said "Not I, but Christ lives in me. . ." (Gal 2:20).
What more concise remedy could there be for the self-life than humility? As
Christ promised, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matt 11:29).
Andrew Murray further affirmed, "The life God bestows is imparted not once
for all, but each moment continuously, by the unceasing operation of His
mighty power. Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the
very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the
creature and the root of every virtue. And so pride, or the loss of
humility, is the root of every sin and evil." (Humility, p.12)
It has been observed that only the smaller birds sing. We don't hear of an
eagle or a hawk chirping a melody; the turkey or ostrich aren't known for
their musical sounds. Instead it is the smaller birds, like the canary,
which produce the sweetest music. Likewise, the sweetness of God's grace is
expressed in and through believers who are humble before God, fully
depending on His provision in Christ (James 4:6). May we humble ourselves
daily so we can receive more grace!
JBW
__________________________________________________
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The Weakly is a devotional letter I send WEEKLY, freely, to those
who request it. "WEAKLY", because I like puns & because it contrasts our
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My purpose is to highlight the dynamics of abundant living as summarized in
Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
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John Woodward Grace Fellowship International
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Tennessee 37868 USA
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