Let's Think About Me!

“Let’s Think About Me”

Yes, Paul was being transformed into the character of Christ; one clear demonstration of that was his humility. When is the last time you saw ‘humility’ trumpeted as something of value in your local newspaper? ‘By a politician? ‘Sportscaster? It seems that we are naturally born with pride; no one has to teach it to us. ‘Doubt me? Who do you spend more time thinking about than yourself?

The Scriptures hold out humility as a virtue to be sought after, a quality to embody, a discipline to be practiced and honed. It is clear that God puts a premium on humility, while he despises the pride that puffs up. ‘There is a difference between the kind of pride that God hates (Proverbs 8:13) and the kind of pride we feel about a job well done. The kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness is sin, and God hates it because it is a hindrance to seeking Him. Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts are far from God: “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” This kind of haughty pride is the opposite of the spirit of humility that God seeks…’ Got Questions.org.

On one end of the continuum: PRIDEß-------at the other------àHUMILITY,

or perhaps more aptly put: the PROUDß-----------------------àthe HUMBLE

"In reality there is perhaps not 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...For even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility." - Benjamin Franklin

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.1 Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble. 2

I do NOT want the Lord to oppose me . . . nor do I want to battle pride, and I certainly want grace, so, “Lord, show us how to be humble.” Humility seems to be something that gives us right perspective in our relationships—vertical and horizontal. Humility is not being self-effacing or self-deprecating; actually, both of those can simply be different forms of pride that turn voices of reassurance our way….do you know what I mean? Putting ourselves down does not mean we are humble, because it is not lousy self esteem or the lack of confidence. Check out this thought, “True humility comes from a place of strength and inner security. Genuinely humble people who have a desire to seek the well-being of others are generally very secure people. They are fully aware of their gifts, their training, their experience, and all the attributes that make them successful at whatever they do. That security—that honest, healthy self-assessment—results in more than healthy self-assessment—results in more than a humble constitution. It translates into actions that can be observed, actions that we want to emulate.”3

Simply, humility is a right position of the heart—toward the Lord, toward others, and ourselves.

On the other hand, how about pride? I have tended to think of pride as a haughty spirit, exhibited in an outward expression of arrogance, but honestly, it is much more than that. Sometimes it is inward, with a strange outward configuration. I think we stop short in our understanding and application of pride in our lives—insidious as it is. Interview yourself with some questions:

-Am I ever given to comparison?

-Do I find myself passing judgment, even if only in my own mind, rather than showing empathy or extending grace?

-Do I minimize my own wrong-doing, while looking at someone else’s bad behavior, or BIG sin?

-Am I often doing ‘impression management’ so that others will think I’m great?

Okay, so maybe I do have some work to do…after all, I heard someone say, ‘I may not be much, but I’m all I think about!’

We will close with a prayer – “Lord, move us toward humility, move us toward yourself. Show us where an unholy pride has taken root, and how to rip it out.

You call us to walk in humility, so give us your heart on the matter. Amen.”

So be it.

Christine

podcast:www.pastorwoman.com

1 Micah 6.8

2 1 Peter 5.5

3 Chuck Swindoll, So, You Want to Be Like Christ?