Today - Humility

James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Review - Today

Today - When we think in terms of reality, in terms of what is real…we’ve talked about how we only have today. We can’t live in our yesterdays and we can’t live in our tomorrows. We can learn from our yesterdays and hope for our futures.

And we know that we can find goodness in the day…why? Because God made the day for us…to be with Him. However, as all of us know too well…the world will tell us its own version of truth for each day…as though God isn’t here or isn’t relevant to our lives. And that’s just simply not true.

The Psalmist wrote: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 His perspective came from truth in God’s Word…Gen 1:5, that talks about God creating the day. This is reality.

Review - Today: Perspective

When we can rest in the truth that God made the day…that it is ours to enjoy with Him and with each other…then we can begin to see things from His perspective. We want to remove our imperfect eyes…our imperfect heart…and see the day and all of creation as He sees it.

When we fall short of this perspective, seeing only with our human mind, we fall into the world’s view of reality…the enemy’s view of reality…and most of the time…it’s all about “me.”

As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on the things on earth.” Matthew, in Matthew 6:33, records the words of Jesus, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness...”

We want God’s perspective…God’s point of view. We want His spirit to guide us and give us wisdom, fulfillment and joy.

Review - Today: Time With God

And last week we looked at the idea that to best get that perspective, we need time with God. James, the half brother of Jesus wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

When we spend time with God…because we want to…because we know it is a good thing for us to be near the creator…we will have the opportunity to begin to…its always a choice…to see things from His point of view, to learn how to reflect more of His glory, to take on more of His characteristics. We need to let that settle in…that God wants to spend time with us…that’s why he created us.

And that’s where we’re headed today.

Last week I used a couple of objects to help us see this idea that, taking the time to be near God we will have the opportunity to reflect Him, be more like Him....but its a choice.

Today - Humility

This choice is tough. Last week we looked at the fact that our battle lies in that space between God and the world. We want to be near God…we need to be near God…God wants to be near us, but we often follow the ways of the world…or simply, our own ways…what we think is best.

So how do we “draw near to God” as James wrote. What is it that will help us to be near Him…in order to really be with Him, to see with His perspective. To really rely on Him and rest in Him?

How? What is it that is at the core of this battle we’re in day after day?

Today we’re going to look at a very simple concept that is talked about at length in scripture. This is foundational to the Christian life. It is foundational to us truly being with God…and it is foundational to us being “with” each other. This is essential to truly seeing and living in reality....remember…those things we lost in the beginning.

What is it that puts us in that spot where we can be who God truly created us to be?

Humility.

Once again, if we go back to the beginning…in Genesis, we see what was lost and why. Adam and Eve lived in perfection with God. Perfect joy and peace…you might say perfect contentment, satisfaction, happiness. But then a lie, a twist of God’s words, entered through another created being, Satan.

Satan had twisted truth just enough that Genesis 3:6 says that when Eve thought about it, the tree …that they were told not to eat from ...might be good for wisdom in life.

Now think that through. First they were told not to. It was a boundary that God had set up. Do not eat. Second, after a bit of temptation, Adam and Eve saw the tree, a created thing…as a source of wisdom…rather than God as The Source of everything.

Humility was laid aside for pride. Even though God said…they both looked the other way and made their own choice…based not on God’s word, but on someone else’s word...

And what was lost? Pride took the place of humility and in that moment a separation happened. Humanity’s spirit and God’s spirit were pulled apart.

Humility - This one is tough…its a simple concept but its tough for us.

We mentioned James’s passage last week when considering “drawing near to God.” In fact…just before that passage in chapter 4, James writes something about the person who can truly come near to God.

James says “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, “The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously”? 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud (those who are friends with the world), but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

James is quoting a passage from the book of Proverbs.God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

James then says…as I just mentioned …that it is in this manner that someone can draw near to God…and then God will draw near to them. And James explains the reason …just before telling us that we need a spirit of humility.

Benjamin Franklin once put together a list of 13 virtues. He tried his best to master each virtue. Here’s his words on how this turned out.

“My list of virtues continued at first but twelve; but a Quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud, that my pride showed itself frequently in conversation, that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing and rather insolent, of which he convinced me by mentioning several instances, I determined endeavoring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly among the rest, and I added Humility to my list, giving an extensive meaning to the word.”

“In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”

I think what Franklin was finding was humility isn’t so much a virtue to master as a way of approaching all of life.

This past fall we looked at how the idea of thanksgiving is truly an attitude toward life…being thankful…being thankful draws your focus away from yourself and onto God and others around you....And most all of the authors of scripture, including Jesus Himself, point to THanksgiving being a vital and foundational part of a healthy life with God.

Let’s look at this quickly…this won’t take much time....but I’ll admit now that this will be hard for many of us to swallow even though it is pretty easy to understand.

Humility.

Ok…I’m going to keep this as simple as I can. I studied this idea of humility all week…and I’m going to tell you we could do a years’ worth of messages and small group studies and prayer times etc…over this idea…our world’s culture has a very skewed idea of humility…and what it means in one’s life right now…and maybe we will do more with this at a later time…but right now let’s keep things simple…how best to live each day with God and with each other in His reality. Right…lets just keep to that.

Humility, as Benjamin Franklin discovered, isn’t just a virtue on a list to live by. It is necessary. Pride took the place of Adam and Eve’s humility and all of creation fell from God because of it. This is not a small matter.

Jesus answered the question…what is the greatest commandment? with two answers. Love God with everything you have…and love your neighbor as yourself.

And then we have those other statements that flesh that second one out…the Golden Rule…do to others as you would have done to you....and consider others better than yourself.

And now, remember, if you think about it…this is what was lost. A perfect and loving life with God our Creator…and a perfect relationship with each other and all of creation! So from what was lost comes the two greatest commands. Love God…Love people.

So how does humility fit into this? I’m sure some of you are already going…Oh my goodness. I see it.

So what is humility.

So sometimes I think we categorize humility with all those other things people should see in us. Humility, gratitude, truthful, kindness, cheerful, things like that...

We think it is something that helps us be ‘good.’

Now in the world today though…many times humility is seen as a weakness. Lowering yourself. No self pride. No strength. No self worth. Humility, in some ways today, is seen as a something to stay away from. But I think that this is because we’ve lost the true purpose of humility and meaning of humility.

What happens if I try to “draw near to God” as James writes, but I hold on to my personal beliefs and choices and feelings and strength? I mean I know God’s word says this but…I know God probably wants this but…I know that this is probably true but...

Here’s the battle. Remember Adam and Eve looked away from God and to their own feelings…understanding…their own wisdom. And right there we see the shift from humility to Pride.

Humility isn’t just a virtue…its a foundation for living in Today…the best way possible…so that we can be with God and with each other.

James kind of makes it pretty clear that we need to give up our dependence on our own thinking…the world’s thinking about what is right and wrong and good and bad. He’s telling us what is best and what helps us get back to what God wants…a relationship with Him like it was in the beginning…and like it can be again through Christ.

Here’s an image for you…picture yourself trying to be close to God…as James would say draw near…and your reaching out this way to get near Him…but in this hand you’re holding on to say…your understanding of your life…maybe the news, your checkbook, your philosphy of what sin is, your idea of goodness, your ways of thinking...

Can you see the difficulty here. Some might call this stuff baggage…some might call these things strengths…but if they’re of the world…from ourselves…then they will get in the way.

Humility happens when we lay all of those things aside and allow God help us see reality as He sees it…as He created it. Then we can truly see the effects of sin too…our personal sin…the sin that Jesus died for. Humility allows us to repent too.

George Mueller

When a man asked George Mueller the secret of his service, Mueller responded: “There was a day when I died, utterly died; died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied to show myself approved only to God.”

To Love God with all our heart mind soul and strength…we need to let go of all of us. Humility....its is not just a virtue…it is a way of life.

Jesus asked that we love each other as ourselves as well…point back to that time before sin when human relationships were perfect too.

We have some examples from Scripture for us…Jesus being the largest example.

Jesus performed an object lesson right before he went to the cross…I think he was saying....this is what the message of the cross is for you.

He knelt down, took a basin and towel and began to wash the disciples’ feet....as a servant would do (Luke records this in his book chapter 13). Here, the Creator of the universe is bowing down to wash the dirt off the feet of his followers…and these were imperfect people. One was going to betray him…and the creator of the universe is washing his feet.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Humility is necessary …for us to truly love and serve each other.

Remember if we go to serve someone…truly serve them as Jesus did…can we hold on to the stuff of our life?

This is hard isn’t it? But…we see people who have gotten this …some of you are like this. They truly enjoy life....each day…through God’s eyes…and with His heart....because they don’t think about themselves at all. They’re not worried, nothing is holding them back to love and serve and rest.

Humility is an awesome thing when we get ahold of its true nature. The phrase…let go and let God....pretty accurate isn’t it.

I’m not saying this is easy....but wow....I think we can all see how this can be so freeing…Do you think that when Jesus hints…I came to set you free…that this might be a bit of what He was saying? I think so.

And …as a church family…can you picture us trying and doing our best to live humbly…the goal is less of us....less of what we might call “our light” and more reflection of God’s glory....and when people see that…they won’t be attracted to us…they’ll be attracted to the One who gave up everytuing for them…hopefully seeing Him through us.

Amen?

Humility is realizing that I’m a sinner…Paul when talking about this once said that…just so people understood Him....He said I’m the worst of all sinners. That’s true humility. People were putting him on a pedstal and he said we’re all alike…we all need Jesus. When we realize that…humility will help us to keep close God and close to reality…and close to the Freedom Christ gracefully gives us.

Let’s pray,