One of these things is not like the other ... or is it? Philippians 2.5-8

Did you ever have preschoolers who watched Sesame Street?  There were these little dramatic sketches where viewers would be shown a group of four items, one of which was different from the other three, and they would have to identify the item that didn't belong … like here in Philippians 2—which doesn’t belong?  human, humbled, servant, God.  Which of the four does not belong?  God.  Unless or until Jesus Christ….right?  Let’s take a look:

Paul charged the Philippians with being more concerned about others than themselves, of spurning selfishness and conceit, and choosing instead to be like Jesus:  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:    Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  but made himself nothing,                                                                      taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness. 
  And being found in appearance as a man, 
 he humbled himself and became obedient to death—                                           even death on a cross! 


Here is what we have: Jesus Christ – in nature God, equal with God. And yet …  Jesus Christ chose to make himself nothing, assumed the nature of a servant,                                                         took on human flesh, humbled himself, chose to be obedient, even to death—to the worst kind of death, crucifixion.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus->humility.  Humility isn’t something regarded too highly in our culture, however the Scriptures hold out humility as a virtue to be sought after, a quality to embody, a discipline to be practiced and honed, an attitude to possess.  ‘Interesting to hold this disposition of humility up against the perception of The Church today, which we have just discussed—judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, etc.—‘seems we Christians (insiders) need to examine ourselves, so that outsiders see The Church as more like Jesus—humble, unselfish, and not self-seeking.  It is clear that God puts a premium on humility, while he despises the kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness.   God hates anything that creates a hindrance to seeking Him.

Scripture is quite clear on this humility thing—“What does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”1   Are you humble?  It certainly influences your attitude about life, you know.  If you operate from a correct view of yourself, it means you look through lenses of humility.  Humility >holds the feelings of others dear, >rightly values God-esteem above all else, and >fights the natural human bent of self-centeredness. 

Wanting to be humble, a man isn’t thinking just about how ‘this or that’ makes him feel, or ‘what’s in it’ for him—no, he is not thinking just of himself, but rather the needs of others before his own.

“Lord, show us how to be humble.” 

Humility gives us right perspective in our relationships—vertical and horizontal.  To be clear, I am not suggesting that humility means being self-effacing or self-deprecating.  Note to self: when we are self-effacing or self-deprecating we may just be exhibiting different forms of pride that turn voices of reassurance our way.   Humility is not putting ourselves down, it is not lousy self esteem or lack of confidence; rather, ‘True humility comes from a place of strength and inner security.  In order to truly be secure within, we must know Whose we are, and therefore, Who we are.  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, and actions that reflect favorably on Jesus Christ.2 (and “The Church”)

Humility is a right position of the heart—toward the Lord, toward others, and ourselves.  That right heart position makes things that don’t seem like the other, and makes them qualities of the other:  Christian—servant, unselfish, un-assuming, and self-sacrificing.  One of these things may not seem like the other, but really, it is what we are called to be!

Grace and Peace,

Christine

PastorWoman.com

1     Micah 6.82    Partial thoughts from Chuck Swindoll, So, You Want to be Like Christ?