Clothe yourselves with h u m i l i t y.  Colossians 3.12

Good Day.

How would you quantify the difference between worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God?¹  Consider this statement:  A person who is wise also must be humble because a wise person recognizes his creaturely dependence upon God. Hmmm.  “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”² Interesting … in that verse, James anchors humility in wisdom.  And then a few verses further he says, “But he [God] gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."³  We have been looking at Paul’s instructions to Christians to be clothed in, among other things, humility.  There is no doubt—God highly esteems humility.  "Lord, teach us about humility, won't you?"

Humility . . . The elder President Bush praised Ronald Reagan's humility in his eulogy. In 1981, Reagan was recovering from the gunshot wound he received during the assassination attempt. It seems that just days after the surgery that repaired his life-threatening injuries, his aides discovered him on his hands and knees in his hospital room, wiping water from the floor. Bush said of Reagan, "He worried that his nurse would get in trouble".  humility.

Humility - another one of the words that captures a spiritual concept and value that the world does not value or teach much about.  Humility is sometimes difficult to grasp, and often misunderstood.  It is not being self-effacing; it is not a lack of confidence; it is seeing ourselves in correct position before our Maker and with other people.  What do you think of your position before the Lord? Where do you place your own value in regard to others?  Who are the 'others'?  Others are those I know and love, those I just know, those I know and don't esteem too highly, those I don't know at all.  How do I treat these others?  It has been said that 'the sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him.'

The Scriptures hold out humility as a virtue to be sought after, a quality to embody, a discipline to be practiced and honed.  It is revered in both the Old and New Testaments.  About 800 years before Christ was born, at a time when Israel and Judah had risen to heights of economic affluence, yet had fallen to depths of spiritual decadence, the prophet Micah penned, "What does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."⁴

Then there was Moses, about whom God said, was "more humble than anyone else on the face of this earth."⁵ Think of it--God used this humble man to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea for them to escape the pursuing Egyptian armies.  God used Moses to continue to lead the people, entrusting to him the 10 Commandments.  Moses--humble>>> then God honors and exalts him.  That is a pattern repeated in Scripture.  What did Jesus have to say about humility?  Hmmm … it is good.  In Matthew 18, to answer the disciples' question, "Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, "I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  The disciples were left standing there, scratching their heads, having to consider what it was about that child . . .

So, what is it about a child? A friend who told me once that what really turned on his quest for Christian truth was his young daughter’s faith.  Why?  Children trust more simply, love with abandon, are not spoiled by the 'wisdom' and teaching of the world; children are teachable.

Let's pursue humility today, my friends; let's teach our children to be humble and embody it in the workplace . . . indeed, let’s clothe ourselves with humility.

Christine