Narrow Way with Steve Phillips Humility
Humility is the fount of all virtue, the spring of continuing grace, and fullness of life itself. Humility flourishes in the dust: it is from whence we arose, what we are, and what awaits this mortal flesh.
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” -1 Peter 5:5. Grace is the portion of the humble; pride prevents that.
The self-reliant, conceited, and wise according to the flesh receive nothing from the God of grace. They are left on their own. But Humility is the gateway to the reception of grace; hence is virtue’s fount.
Humility, that fearful distrust of Self, opens the reservoirs of heaven to flow into a heart thus open. Pride barricades that flow. Self-sufficiency is a delusion, for Self is not sufficient. Relying on one’s own resources cancels grace to the heart. Only Humility taps into that supernatural flow from heaven.
Self-occupation and Humility are not roommates. When thoughts of Christ and the welfare of others occupy the heart, Humility is at home there. Disdain doesn’t dissuade Humility, for lowliness is his home.
A profound realization accompanies the humble; every good thing possessed is attributable to Christ, and not Self. “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? If you indeed did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” -1 Corinthians 4:7. Good questions.
At the end of the day, the exalted and the common, the enriched and impoverished, and the high-minded and the simple all die and are buried. Worms in the grave do their work without respect of persons.
Only the humble will reach heaven, for God is opposed to the proud. Pride is resisted as the enemy that it is by the Lord setting Himself in military array against it. Humility is your only safe haven.
“Others” is the watchword of the lowly. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind in Humility, let each esteem others as more important than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” –Philippians 2:3,4.
And where can such lowliness be attained and learned? From the Lowly Lord Himself. Jesus invites all weary and proud and self-centered to come to Himself. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls” –Matthew 11:29.
And thus yoked to Christ, we discover that there is no station too lowly for Humility to occupy. Did not the Lord Jesus lay aside His regal privilege and recognition? Did He not come, not in majestic acclaim, but rather to be laid in a manger? Did He not then reside in the Nazareth bush village and not in a palace?
Humility is content to grasp a broom as well as a scepter: both alike are things of nothing in his eyes. For a humble soul is not concerned with either exaltation or abasement. Humility focuses on Christ and others. Witness Paul and his bosom companion, Humility, gather bundles of brushwood for the fire.
Though shipwrecked, soaking, and shivering, nevertheless, others were his concern, not Self. “Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire” -Acts 28:3. This is the work of Humility. When the interests of Christ and the good of others fill the moments of the day, Humility is at work.
Do not shrink from the censure of men; humiliation bears its fruit when borne in meekness. By this often unwelcome messenger, humiliation must crush all thoughts of grandeur. When we ourselves can confess that “I am nothing” -2 Corinthians 12:11, and do not bristle when others say so, humility is ours.
Humility welcomes the censure that fine tunes his course, though buffeting blasts deliver the rebuff. The humble agree that Self must be battered and bruised, and are not offended when he is; he’s the enemy.
No pointing finger is attached to the hand of Humility. Failures are borne in meekness, not by conjuring accusations to shift blame away from Self onto others and circumstances. Humility attributes virtue to Christ and faults to Self.
Humility does not trumpet his presence; his fragrance has already done so. The humble are recognized by lowly self-abandonment, not by acclaim. It is Haman who recounts his glories, not Humility. “Haman boasted to them of the glory of his riches, where the king had magnified him, and promoted him above the princes” –Esther 5:11. “But Haman rushed home, mourning, with his head covered” –Esther 6:12. “They hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai” –Esther 7:10.
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” –Luke 14:11. Humility is the fount of all virtue.