The mines King Solomon's part 22
"You didn't ordain me, so I'm leaving the church," Jason lamented with a bitterness in his voice I hadn't heard before. “I've done so much for this church—teaching Bible studies, visiting the sick, and why on earth did they of all things...ordain? His sermons are lullable, his Bible knowledge is poor, and he's rude too!” Jason's bitterness surprised me, but it exposed something far more serious on the surface—his pride.
The kind of pride that God hates (Spr 6,16-17), is the overestimation of oneself and the devaluation of others. In Sprüche 3,34King Solomon points out that God “scorns the scoffers.” God opposes those whose way of life causes them to deliberately refrain from relying on God’s help. We all struggle with pride, which is often so subtle that we don’t even realize its effects. “But,” Solomon continues, “he will show mercy to the humble.” We have a choice. We can let our thoughts and actions be driven by pride or by humility. What is humility, and what is the key to it? Where do we even begin? How can we choose humility and receive from God all that he wants to give us?
Multiple entrepreneur and author Steven K. Scott tells the story of a multimillion-dollar entrepreneur who employed thousands of people. Despite having everything money could buy, he was unhappy, bitter, and short-tempered. His employees, even his family, found him obnoxious. His wife couldn't stand his aggressive behavior anymore and asked her pastor to talk to him. As the pastor listened to the man talk about his accomplishments, he quickly realized that pride ruled this man's heart and mind. He claimed to have built his company from scratch all by himself. He would have worked hard to get his college degree. He boasted that he had done everything himself and that he owed nothing to anyone. The pastor then asked him, “Who changed your diapers? Who fed you as a baby? Who taught you to read and write? Who gave you the jobs that enabled you to complete your studies? Who serves you the food in the canteen? Who cleans the toilets in your company?” The man bowed his head in embarrassment. A few moments later he admitted with tears in his eyes: "Now that I think about it, I realize that I didn't do it all on my own. Without the kindness and support of others, I probably would not have accomplished anything. The pastor asked him, "Don't you think they deserve a little gratitude?"
The man's heart has changed, apparently from one day to the next. In the following months he wrote letters of thanks to each of his employees and to all those who, as far as he could remember, had contributed to his life. Not only did he feel a deep sense of gratitude, but he treated everyone around him with respect and appreciation. Within a year, he had become a different person. Joy and peace had replaced anger and turmoil in his heart. He looked years younger. His employees liked him because he treated them with respect and respect, which, thanks to true humility, was now evoked.
Creatures of God's Initiative: This story shows us the key to humility. Just as the entrepreneur understood that he could accomplish nothing without the help of others, so too should we understand that humility begins with the realization that we can do nothing without God. We had no control over our coming into existence, and we cannot boast or claim to have produced anything good through our own efforts. We are creatures thanks to God's initiative. We were sinners, yet God took the initiative, reached out to us, and introduced us to his indescribable love. (1 Joh 4,19)Without Him we can do nothing. All we can do is say, "Thank you," and rest in the truth as those called in Jesus Christ—accepted, forgiven, and unconditionally loved.
Another way to measure greatness: Let's ask ourselves the question: "How can I be humble?" Sprüche 3,34 Almost 1000 years after Solomon had written his wise words, it was so true and relevant that the apostles John and Peter drew on it in their teachings. In his letter, which often deals with submission and service, Paul writes: “All of you should clothe yourselves with humility” (1 Petr 5,5(Schlachter 2000). With this metaphor, Peter uses the image of a servant who ties on a special apron, thereby signifying his readiness to serve. Peter said: “All of you should be prepared to humbly serve one another.” Undoubtedly, Peter was thinking of the Last Supper, when Jesus tied on an apron and washed the disciples’ feet. (Joh 13,4-17)The expression "girding himself up" used by John is the same one Peter used. Jesus took up his apron and made himself the servant of all. He knelt down and washed their feet. By doing this, he instituted a new way of life, one in which greatness is measured by how much we serve others. Pride looks down on others and says, "Serve me!" Humility bows down before others and says, "How can I serve you?" This is the opposite of what is happening in the world, where people are encouraged to manipulate, to stand out, and to put themselves in a better light. We worship a humble God who kneels before his creatures to serve them. Isn't that amazing?
"Do as I have done unto you" Being humble does not mean that we think inferiorly of ourselves or have low opinions of our talents and character. It is certainly not about presenting yourself as nothing and nobody. For that would be perverted pride, eager to be praised for its humility! Humility has nothing to do with being defensive, wanting to have the last word, or belittling others to demonstrate superiority. Pride inflates us so that we feel independent of God, consider ourselves more important, and lose sight of Him. Humility causes us to be subject to God and to recognize that we are totally dependent on him. This means that we don't look at ourselves, but turn our whole attention to God, who loves us and looks at us better than we can.
After washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus said, "Do as I have done to you." He did not say that the only way to serve is to wash the feet of others, but gave them an example of how to live should. Humility is constantly and consciously looking for opportunities to serve. It helps us to accept the reality that by the grace of God we are His vessels, bearers and representatives in the world. Mother Teresa was an example of "humility in action." She said she saw the face of Jesus in the faces of everyone she helped. We may not be called to be the next Mother Teresa, but we should simply be more concerned about the needs of those around us. Whenever we are tempted to take ourselves too seriously, it is good to recall the words of Archbishop Helder Camara: "When I appear in public and a large audience applauds and cheers me, I turn to Christ and just tell him: Lord, this is your triumphant entry into Jerusalem! I'm just the little donkey you ride."
by Gordon Green
