Humility: a study in going lower
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Romans 5:1-11
The Lord has begun teaching me along the lines of humility, of how to 'go lower,' to serve, to humble myself, to seek peaceful, harmonious relationships with others because I have a peaceful, harmonious relationship with Him. The above passage is one of several He's been using to teach me a) that I need to do this and b) how to do this.
I'm leading a group of ladies through the book of Ephesians and chapter two is jam-packed full of this message of peace, reconciliation, and harmonious relationships. We will finish up the chapter this week, but this theme is something I want to sit with long and hard. What does it mean that God took on skin and entered into my suffering in order to pave the way for my peaceful relationship with Him? What does it mean that He is constantly present in my suffering with me now? What does it mean to have a 'standing of grace,' to have the One who was my Judge become my gracious Father? I was under His just wrath and Jesus took that away. Even the means of my salvation from that wrath was provided for me. That was grace.
What did it look like for Jesus to do this? Humility and humiliation. Humility - from the Latin, humus or dirt. Aren't we all people of the dirt? Aren't we all made of this stuff called earth (Genesis 2:7)? Like water, that always seeks the lowest place, and like the dirt beneath our feet, Jesus 'went lower;' He sought the lowest place. He became one of the 'humus' people, according to Philippians 2:6-11. He did not consider His position or 'status' as God something to be grasped tightly. Granted, He did not lose His divinity, but he laid aside certain rights and privileges (to be worshiped, to be recognized for who He was) so that a member of the Godhead could do for us humus people what we could not do for ourselves - create a way to peaceful relationship with Him. He took on the suffering, the depravation, humiliation, and shame we humus people live with. He entered into our skin, took on 'dirt,' so that He might share our sufferings (Hebrews 2:10, 14) and ultimately suffer our deserved God-wrath (1 Peter 2:18-25, 2 Cor. 5:21). He 'went lower' to pave the way for relationship (Romans 5:10-11). He served so that we would have a relationship of peace and harmony where once there had been hatred and sin. He chose humility. He chose dependence on God and a focus on the needs of other people.
Humility is not false modesty. It is not a low opinion of one's self. It is not self-deprecation. How could it be if humility looks like Jesus? "Have this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus . . ." (Phil. 2:6). Humility is not concerned with self at all! It is walking in confident dependence, forgiving freely because the offenses of others do not damage my standing with God and He is the one who gives me value. It is serving others because I have been served and provided for by the One who 'owns the cattle on a thousand hills,' (Ps. 50:10) and 'I have no lack' (Psalm 23:1). I am freed from the pursuit of self-exaltation because I have already been given the title, 'Daughter of the King of kings.' I have been raised with Him, seated next to Him as His Bride (Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 3:1).
I am still learning how to do this - going lower to serve, going lower to pursue peaceful, harmonious relationships with other people. I think we all are. There are multiple texts that teach us how to do this (for example: Colossians 3:1-17) and other passages that teach us why we don't do this (James 4:1). How does this look in your life? Where is this needed? Is is humility before God or in relationship with other people or both? What specific areas in your life need you to exercise that reality that you are 'humus' and have been served by the ultimate Man of earth?
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