The ABCs Of Christian Survival And Growth, GHG - Powerful Medicine To Cure The Runaway Human Ego, Part 3 - Humility

GHG - Powerful Medicine To Cure The Runaway Human Ego

Part 3 - Humility

One Wikipedia definition describes Humility as, "A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God's sake."

This is the definition to which I subscribe and the one I aspire to be consumed by. It doesn't mean that as a Christian, I still carry the sins or the due judgment of my past. By the grace of God to forgive them through Christ's sacrifice, I'm no longer guilty before God. I no longer live under the conviction of them. But, I do remember ... that it's only because of His grace. I remember that by any sin, including the sin that I was born into, I was guilty and subject to judgment and thereby the punishment of death. I do realize that my right standing with God is a gift - unearned and undeserved and one for which my gratitude should never wane as long as I enjoy the eternal reward that was made mine by the gift of that grace. I remember that I did not create myself, that my very existence, was a gift of love and grace from the hand that formed me in my mother's womb. I understand and I remember that the very breath that gave me life - is His and that He gave it even though He knew my flaws beforehand.

So then what really is left for me to boast of? If we're conscious, honest, and believing what scripture tells us, then we have to consider these things: We were condemned from the start to suffer the just and righteous wrath of the God who gave us breath even before we drew it, because of the iniquity we inherited from our forefathers. We know that our salvation isn't due to any work of ours, but by God's grace. Scripture points out that we lack the power to add even one moment to our lives. Any real power belongs to our God. The things that we can control aren't even worth mentioning in comparison with God's real power. We know that we alone are powerless to control much of anything and that if we have any real power it comes from His Spirit abiding within us. We know that the mighty and unseen power that holds the very planets and stars in orbit on our behalf is our God. We know that the strength in our bodies and the spirit that gives us life comes from Him. Therefore the credit for any good and Godly thing that we might be tempted to lay claim to having done is really due our Lord and King. So without Him, truly, what could we do? Many are obsessed with the earthly things that we can build, collect or might give value to even though we know they will perish and are eternally worthless. Yet they find these things reason to be proud in defiance of what God has told us.

These are only some of mans' defects. So given the definition of the word humility that I noted at the beginning of this writing, what should our response be to our God and to others be for His sake? Anytime we think, speak or act, are these things conceived in the humility of one who is inferior to, and owes it all to the God who reigns supreme over all that exists? He knows what our response should be and He knows what they really are. Are they right as our lives are completely exposed before Him? Have we really taken the time to consider? Is it a true perspective of our condition that serves as the foundation for our lives?

Please don't get me wrong. There are times when for His sake, we need, and are called to be bold and courageous. But even then, we can never afford to lose sight of the truth. He is God, and we all ... are His humble creation made so valuable only by the grace of His love for us and by the awesome price that Christ paid to redeem us. The full and honest accounting of His grace as we can know it, should finds us truly humbled ... and eternally grateful.

Remember that along with astounding grace, it was Christ's incomparable humility even as God that allowed Him to leave His place of glory and enter the far inferior world of man under some of the lowliest possible human conditions that saved us. There was no shame in Christ, so don't fear humility before our God or even men for His sake, embrace it. Contrary to the world's thinking, it's honest and cognizant recognition of our true condition. It's not weakness, but tremendous strength of spirit that allows it to exist as demonstrated by the very example of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. For which, we should bear Him eternal ... gratitude.