Hubris and Humility

 

In his column for the New York Times, which is titled “Not In Control,” David Leonhardt admits that the way we have approached the virus in this most recent pandemic needs to change. We must, he writes, “avoid believing that we can always know which behaviors create risks.”  He quoted Michael Osterholm, who runs an infectious disease research center at the University of Minnesota, who says that we need to keep in mind one overriding idea: humility. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” the researcher said. With all the proclamations, posturing, and politicking that the COVID virus has stirred, it was good to see someone admit – we do not know all that we think we know!

I want to run with that thought of humility today. Hubris convinces us that we are masters of our universe, that we understand ourselves, others, and our world more than we actually do. That excessive pride and the resulting over-confidence ultimately makes fools of us when we encounter situations that make it plain that we are not nearly ‘all that!’ Pride is a basic human sin, wrecking our relationships with others and with the Lord.

How important is humility to a vibrant Christian life? Take a look at the wisdom of the Word.

Jesus spoke to the need with this paradoxical statement -
           "whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4, NIV)

    Paul urges us to
               "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2, NIV)

    James does not qualify the command -
               "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10, NIV)

    Peter, likewise, directs us to
               "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6, NIV)

Humility is an indispensable trait in the character of the godly.  From the opening stories of Genesis to wild visions of the Revelation we learn that humility is an irreplaceable quality for that person who would truly know and love the Omniscient God. Humility allows us to strengthen our relationship with God because it removes our need to ‘have our own way,’ and brings us to bended knee and open heart before Him.   

Humility is a key characteristic of the person who builds lasting friendships, who lives in harmony with others. It dissipates anger. It facilitates forgiveness. It raises up the wounded and broken, viewing people as being worthy of respect. 

Humility is a much misunderstood trait, not to be confused a lack of healthy self-esteem. Nor is it about hating ourselves or living in the shadows. The humble cultivate a rich awareness of themselves and others, knowing who they are in Christ, how they are gifted, where they are weak, contented to be no more or less than God made them to be.   

Released from the need to strive and compete by God’s gracious love and acceptance, a humble person lives with love for all persons, including themselves, in the best ways.  The humble man has no need to pursue the ‘success’ image that is entrenched in American lore and society.  The chains of servitude that are made strong by endless attempts to find self-worth and acceptance by pleasing others are broken by letting God do the work of creating a humble spirit in us.

Will we receive the wisdom of Jesus when He calls us to let the work of humility be done in us? There is great promise for us in this. "God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them." (Matthew 5:3, NLT)  "God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them." (Matthew 5:5, NLT)  Wow! Heaven’s authority and earth’s blessings are God’s gifts to those who are humble.

Isaiah reminds us that "The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled)." (Isaiah 2:11-12, NIV) 

Like all evidences of the Spirit’s life, humility is both a gift of God and something we must cultivate. 

First step is to acknowledge Christ as Lord. 
Not just once, but daily. Make a confession of His lordship, His rule, His ownership of your life part of your morning prayer. Almost every morning, among the first thoughts in my mind is a simple prayer – “Lord, this is your day, What opportunities have You prepared for me today?  May You be honored by my thought, word, and action.”  (Full disclosure - I fall short of that aspiration more than I would like to admit.)

Second step is honest confession of reliance on His grace and goodness. 
Confession is not endlessly rehearsing ‘I am such an awful person. I am guilty. I am shameful.’  Confession is a daily response to the Spirit of obedience, a readiness to recognize failure and quickly find restoration because of His love and goodness to you.  Though I have walked with God for 6 decades and served as a pastor preaching the Word for 45 years, I confess my need of the Spirit, my complete reliance on His power and grace everyday. That is not weakness, that is humility.  Without the life of the Spirit actively working in me as I yield myself to Him, I cannot please God. Nor, my friend, can you.

If you think you are capable of living for Christ Jesus without living the Spirit’s disciplines, without real prayer, without learning the Truth of the Word, without worship and fellowship with other Christians – you are gripped by hubris!  Want to learn and live with humility?  Then, bow your head, open your heart, and learn to lean, like a child, on the complete sufficiency of the Father.

Here is a word from the Word. Given great gifts and profound revelations of spiritual truth, St. Paul was apparently tempted to go it on his own. "So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NLT)  Ah, now there is humility – not I, but Christ who lives in me.

_______________

Goodness Of God

(Take a few minutes and make this your worshipful confession)

I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

 

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

 

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a father
I've known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

 

Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It's running after me

 

 

Ben Fielding | Brian Johnson | Ed Cash | Jason Ingram | Jenn Johnson

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As the world turns

 

For a year and a half I have known that the moment was approaching when I would step away from pastoring the church I have served for 21 years. On September 1, I will no longer be the pastor of a church. It’s the right decision for me, for the congregation. This choice has kicked up memories, moments of celebration, occasions for regret. Having negotiated many changes in my life- some part of a plan, some not of my choosing – I am aware of this:  God has new opportunities for me and a fresh vision for them.

Nostalgia is nice, as a temporary diversion, but we cannot successfully navigate our way into the future while staring into the rear-view mirror of life.  We will surely miss the best that God has prepared for us IF we let the rosy tint of memory convince us that life was better back then.  I have to remind myself that memory is highly selective.  History gets rewritten by our present understanding and/or emotional needs. As we think only of the 'good old days,' we tend to forget God’s faithfulness in the ‘ordinary.’  Our recall usually involves the headline events – big moments of joy or sorrow, major triumphs or terrible failure.

Try to think of this date – July 29 – in 2011.  Unless something special happened  or you have kept a journal, I doubt you can remember what you had for breakfast, who you met, or where you went. Our memories are built around celebrations, Christmases, vacations, getting a new homes or starting a new job. On the other side of that we recall the awful moments of breakups, financial loss, or death. But, real life is lived in unremarkable moments – shared breakfasts, meetings, commutes to work, irritations like broken appliances, arguments about a missed appointment:  those many ordinary days when God’s grace keeps us and we live in the flow of time. 

A song that I find myself humming, singing even, often recently is that old hymn – “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I love this line – “Summer and winter, Springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above; join with all nature in manifold witness, to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love!”  The world turns and in that predictable change of seasons, sunrise and sunset, there is mute testimony to God’s goodness. In worship of the Eternal God, I find my heart and mind at peace.

Ah, friend are you facing some change? The truth is that we all are because time leaves nothing unchanged. This world is not the same today as it was a year ago, nor our situation be the same a year from now.  We are not adrift, without security, in this sea of change. There is an anchor for us who know God – His great faithfulness.  Our Savior’s love is unwavering, constant. The Word assures that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)

Let’s not miss the moment, trying to recapture yesterday’s glory or fix its mistakes. Let’s not let today’s opportunity slip past because we are lost in some fantastic reverie about tomorrow. Paul’s wise counsel teaches us to live NOW - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, NIV)  

Here's a word from the Word. Jesus reminds us that God, the Spirit, is working in us now. “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be torn, and the patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would burst the old skins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be put into new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the fresh and the new. ‘The old is better,’ they say.”" (Luke 5:36-39, NLT)

Lord, lead us to the joy of this moment, to faithfulness to the calling  of this day.  Amen.

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Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine

O what a foretaste of glory divine

Heir of salvation purchase of God

Born of His Spirit washed in His blood

 

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

 

Perfect submission all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blest

Watching and waiting looking above

Filled with His goodness lost in His love

 

Fanny Jane Crosby

© Words: Public Domain

Influencer

 

My phone rang in the evening last week and a cheerful voice said, “Hi. I hope I’m not disturbing you. This is Jack Winters.”   Jack’s voice trembled with emotion when he said, “I’m so glad your Dad wouldn’t give up on me,” he said.  He was calling on his ‘birthday’ as a Believer, remembering a day more than 4 decades in the past when my Dad knelt with him in the church and together they prayed for new life. 

Jack was born again that day, in his words, “a mess turned into a message.”  His life was in ruins. He was an angry, hard-drinking, broken man whose wife was ready to walk out.  Jesus made him new and it showed.  For more than 40 years, he has lived an active Christian life, a man beloved by his family. He’s not just talked the talk; he has lived the life. 

That is how true Christian discipleship works!  It makes us ‘influencers.’

The Gospel is like a seed planted, then grows, matures, and bears fruit.  It is replanted and the effect ripples outward through the world.  

What effect will ripple through time from your life?
Are you living today in a way that God can use you to touch others with grace?

Lord knows we need grace-filled people in this world, people whose hearts are turned to the Father, who are ‘God’s own.’

Jesus used a homely illustration about the influence we are to have.  He says, "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16, NLT)  Salt! Light!

Salt in the day before refrigeration was more than a flavor. It was a preservative. It kept the provisions from rotting!  When we Christians understand our place, our calling, and we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit, we push back the rot, preserve the world in which we live.  We help the ‘Jack Winters’ of the world, who have been overwhelmed by self, by sin, by the devil to find the freedom that Christ offers and to become whole and holy. And the one we lift up, lifts another, and another … and the ripples of our influence spread. 

Light is a powerful agent too. Plants bend toward the sun. Emotions lift when the days are bright. Life itself requires the energy of the sun’s light.  Yes, Christian, it may sound grand but we are to be life-giving people.  Paul reminds us that the light in us is not our own radiance. We “reflect the Lord’s glory.”  (2 Co 3:18)  Like the moon which has no energy, no glory of its own, we are mirrors of His gracious goodness, letting His light shine from us.

The modern world, like it or not, is a place of social media, with about 4 billion people connected on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms that this old man has not even heard of yet. Part of that media world is the role of influencer. Influencers build a reputation of expertise about some specific niche of life. Their posts are avidly followed by audiences they build over time who pay close attention to their views. For a few, it becomes their primary source of income, supported by the companies who make the products these ‘influencers’ promote. 

I do not want to sound crass or commercial but let ask you –
are you an influencer for Christ Jesus? Are you living with prayer, reflection, meditation, integration of Truth, led by the Spirit so that YOUR LIFE becomes a model for those who live around you?  It’s a high calling that has nothing to do with ego and everything to do with true discipleship!

How we live is creating a culture. Lord give us the vision to make it one of excellence!

Here’s a word from the Word.  "We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own." (2 Corinthians 4:5-7, NLT)

 

Be salt, light; an influencer for Christ Jesus!

_______________

 

Shine on Us

 

Lord, let Your light

Light of Your face

Shine on us

Lord, let Your light

Light of Your face

Shine on us

That we may be saved

That we may have life

To find our way

In the darkest night

Let your light shine on us

 

Lord, let your grace

Grace from Your hand

Come over us

Lord, let your grace

Grace from Your hand

Come over us

That we may be saved

That we may have life

To find our way

In the darkest night

Let Your grace come over us

 

Lord, let Your love

Love with no end

Come over us

Lord, let Your love

Love with no end

Come over us

That we may be saved

That we may have life

To find our way

In the darkest night

Let Your love come over us

Let Your light shine on us

 

Smith Michael Whitaker / Smith Deborah Davis

Shine On Us lyrics © Deer Valley Music