Humility of Christ

Yesterday ... how can I say this ... I was reminded of my pride! I haven't been able to get past it all day long. I long for the humility of Christ expressed in Philippians 2:6-11. I'm not going to speak to the particular situation, but I will tell of the comment I needed to hear.

I was talking to Doug about wanting to be a co-leader with him of a particular group of people. I told him that if I were part of this group I would constantly fight dominating the conversation, the thought processes, and other stuff. Doug quickly affirmed my assessment and said, "Yes. You don't need to be in charge because you would dominate. And I tell you that as a friend." I told him that is why I would need him in the group to curb my prideful tendencies.

Sometimes I joke about someone affirming one of your "bad" qualities. (see a previous post of mine.) Rarely, if ever, do we hear someone affirm us when we say something like, "Man, I am a moron!" If someone immediately said, "Well, yeah you are a moron!" we would tend to take offense. The far better thing to do is to say only things that we believe to be true about ourselves. It wasn't an easy thing to hear from someone else, but I needed it! True friends can say difficult things in order to point us back to Christ.

A humble, honest opinion of our weaknesses displays Christ powerfully in our body, something that Paul also affirms in Philippians 1:20. May His humility overwhelm my attitude.

How I wish to write poetry

The more I read, the more intrigued

I get for me to see

But upon this height, I must not kite--

Humility is the key

Traveling to Dallas

Normally a three-hour trip to north Dallas took four hours last night. Honestly, I thought it would have taken longer especially when it took almost an hour to get to the next city north of Huntsville, Madisonville! I just rolled the windows down and let the wind blow through my long, flowing hair (I wish). In spite of the traffic, I was amazingly peaceful. Mainly because my expectations were so low!

What is funny is how we developed a little community for most of my trip home. People stayed in the same lanes. There was no weaving in and out of traffic to get ahead. I stayed behind one car most of the trip. The person behind was there too. Those in the right lane would go ahead for a while, then we would return the favor. On and on it went. I grew to appreciate the consideration for all of us fleeing from a natural disaster. It helped me think about the "community" more. Peace.

Then I saw two ambulances in my rear-view mirror making their way through traffic. I was in the left lane. People were just pulling over to the left so it could get through; I followed suit. The people on the right pulled to the right so the ambulance was basically given one big lane in the middle of the highway. No big deal, right?

Well, I saw the pride before the ambulances passed. There were two cars riding the tail of the second ambulance just cruising along as if the highway was their's to own. The first car was a huge Hummer (a nice sign of pride). The second was a sedan of some kind. There was no room for anyone to cut these cars off they were so close. Someone would have if they could've!

That is just wrong! To think that the highway is yours for the taking betrays an intense pride that God surely opposes. Just looking out for yourself and how to promote your own well-being betrays any sense of community. And we were a community out there! It hurt to see them doing it. It bothered me. It took a while for me to get over it.

But it confirms for me how destructive pride is to any community! We might not understand the full effects of pride because we have not completely experienced a fully selfless community. However, we do recognize the breakdown of community when intense pride enters the picture. Because of this, I am encouraged to seek humility. God's grace will soon follow.

Whatever Happens

Here is a little quote from Thomas a Kempis' Imitation of Christ (1.20.6):

"In silence and stillness the devout soul advances and learns the hidden truths of Scripture. There it finds the salutary tears that wash away the guilt of sin, so that it grows more intimate with God as it severs itself from the clamor of the world."

It has been good to begin going back through this wonderful book again. (We are taking various passages from the Imitation as discussion points for Thursday night devos this semester.) I find that every time I open its pages I meet challenge. Though there are certainly weaknesses to the book, I find the ever-present charge to be attentive to my soul. He also reminds me of humility, something any minister needs.

As the hurricane gets even closer and evacuations already beginning, silence and stillness is a good reminder. It is important to remember the one in whom we trust. "Whatever happens," Paul writes, "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." The hidden truth of scripture lets us make preparations for the hurricane, but also lets our hearts remain unmoved and still.

My heart continues to go toward those having to vacate their homes. May your peace surround them as the fog surrounded my car this morning. Let your presence be close, Lord. Keep us safe in your hands.

Silence

I went to a Randy Harris class during the ACU lectures this year. It was entitled, "I'm not really all that humble." It was an intriguing class. He basically offered his comments on two old guys' thoughts on the subject. Jeremy Taylor and St. Benedict. Actually, those were the only two days I was in the class. On the third day he discussed how Jesus addressed the topic, but I wasn't in the class.

In Randy's discussion on humility during the second day he made a comment about silence. His phrase about practicing silence is, "Only speak what love requires." I think that is pretty cool advice. So, in some situations, I would need to speak because that is the loving thing to do. In other situations, I would need to refrain for the sake of love. These are some words that I am trying to put into practice recently.

Cleanliness

How does God clean us? This is the question that lingers in my mind this morning after reading Psalm 51. Surely it has something to do with my sacrifices, doesn't it? That makes sense...I think. When I am "dirty" with sin, my sacrifices somehow cleanse me and pacify God's wrath against me. Blood has to be shed when there is sin, so sacrifice is a necessity. That is what I normally might think.

But I read about something different in David's Psalm here. Sin is present...no doubt about it. David wants mercy. He wants to be washed. He wants joy and gladness. David wants to be clean.
So, how does he get clean? I see David appealing to God's character. It is because God is an unfailing-love kind of God. It is because he is a compassionate God. It is because God is the one who saves. God cleans us because God is all these things. He cleans us by being all the things. God's character is powerful enough to bring cleanliness to us.

Well, surely we have to do something, don't we?

Yes, but it is not burnt offerings. And it is only in response to his cleaning us.

Well, what do we do?

According to this Psalm, we fall down in humility. Our sacrifice is a broken spirit, a contrite heart. There is nothing we can do, but appeal to God in true humility. Any justifying of my actions that happens shows that true humility is not yet present. I must know and recognize that I am sinful...period.

I also notice that we teach others, but only afterwards. David says that he will teach transgressors God's ways and sinners will turn back to God. It is only after God cleanses us that we are able to tell others about what God has done. This brings glory to God and God alone.

So, God cleans us by his being God. We are cleansed in our humility before the God who was and is and is to come. Let us fall before the throne of the one who is highly exalted above all gods. Amen!

Newness in Christ

I am just beginning to think through a sermon I will preach on Dec 31st. Please bear with me.

The Lord brings new things our way all the time. Many times, however, it isn't new to me. I have heard it before. I know that already. I have read this passage countless times before. How many times do I take communion? When am I not going through my routine? I let the oldness set in and stifle any newness that the Lord wants to bring.

Actually, oldness was set in with Josiah, Shaphan (the secretary), and Hilkiah (the priest). Looking at their life in 2 Kings 22, we see routine: a king doing kingly things, a secretary doing secretary things, and a priest doing priestly things (but not according to the Law apparently). They were not near newness.

That is until they discover a "new," old book of the Law in the temple. Then Josiah went throughout the kingdom bringing the newness that was intended to exist continually since the time of Moses. The newness came however, not simply because of finding this book. It was found by a responsive, humble heart (2 Kings 22:19). The newness continued with new responsibilities: the priest now had to inquire of the Lord, the king had to change the kingdom business, the people had to smash all that opposed the law, and the foreign priests had to die. The newness came with a vengeance.

Today, we have a chance to allow newness to penetrate our hearts. Our humility before the Lord will usher in new life. Our behavior will follow and thereby bring more newness. May God bring the newness found in Christ deep within ourselves and give us rest.

Have Mercy

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

I read this morning from Habakkuk. He was complaining about how the Lord, who was so pure and without evil, would use the Babylonians, who were so high on themselves, to execute judgment. The Lord assured him that they would get theirs; they would not escape wrath. The last chapter of Habakkuk is a prayer of his. He says, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” This last phrase struck me: “in wrath remember mercy.”

I so many times forget to fall before God asking for mercy. It is only through his mercy that I can live at all. With the sin that is so prevalent in our country we need the mercy of God. I so easily think to myself, “You know...I have been doing pretty good for the past week or so in regard to sin.” This tends to lead me to think that I am cool with God and somehow don’t need to ask for mercy. “I haven’t really sinned recently,” I might think, “so I don’t need to ask for mercy.” How small a thinking we have! We need to always keep our station before us. We are sinners in need of the mercy of God. To remember this all the time keeps us humble not only before the Almighty God, but also before our fellow humans.

Someone reading this might have thought to themselves when reading the first paragraph, “What in the world has he done? No one says these things without having sinned big time.” This person would be right. We tend to spread our sins out over our lifetime. They don’t look that bad if we do this. But, if I were to pull all my sins together to where I could see them all at once, I would realize how much I need the mercy of God.

Lord, as I walk today. Keep before the attitude that I am a sinner in need of your grace. Even Paul was able to keep his sins before him, to the point of calling himself ‘the worst of sinners.’ Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Humility Before Honor

Proverbs 15:33 and 18:12 use the phrase "...humility comes before honor." I learned this yet again last night. Tanya and I had been at odds with each other. I felt like she was demanding too much of me; she felt like I didn't care about her needs. She was stressed; I was bothered. Both of us could not really have a productive conversation at all. Most of the things we did, innocent though they might be, ended up being interpreted in the worst possible light.

This escalation continued until humility entered the picture. Once both of us were able to humble ourselves and commit to work things out instead of tear things down, honor came back into our relationship. Once we were able to humbly and actively listen, we were able to progress toward honoring one another above ourselves. Once we were able to, in humility, pray to our creator, we were able to, in honor, glorify God in our relationship.

The next time you feel like strangling your spouse (or significant other), remember that "humility comes before honor."

Standing Under Temptation

A sign of spiritual progress is the ability to resist temptations when they come. In fact, that you are continually being tempted more and more shows that you really are making spiritual progress.

Temptations will also keep you humble. There is no woman or man alive today that can say..."I am not tempted by anything." Paul spoke of a thorn in his flesh that kept him from thinking too highly of himself. He even pleaded three times that it be taken from him. The Lord refused and merely said, "my grace is sufficient for you." When things have been going well in regard to the temptation department, I might think I somehow have surpassed others in my spirituality. Thus, I need temptations to keep me humble.

So many, myself included at times, might think that temptation in itself is bad. "I don't want to tell people that I was tempted to look at pornography because they might think I actually did look at it or that I am weak somehow." No way! This is not true and I am weak. Just think...Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). His ministry began with being led into the desert to be tempted. Temptation is not bad...

...rather, temptation is a great opportunity to make progress in our relationship with God and in our spiritual life. Amen.