Try to imagine the response in people’s hearts as they
heard these words from the lips of the man from Galilee:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
Most of them were ‘humble’ people in the sense of wealth,
social status, education, and livelihood. They had and did nothing much worth
boasting about. Yet in that culture and today, and in any country or world
situation, a beggar can be as spiritually proud as any prominent citizen, high
priest, cult leader, or me.
Tozer says that the truly humble person does not expect to
find virtue in himself or herself. When none is found, that person is not
disappointed because of an inner certainty that good deed or goodness that is
there, is the result of God’s working — not self-effort.
Perhaps this deep humility must occur, at least a few
times, before understanding the freedom of it. Humility releases God’s people
from the burden of trying to live up to their own opinion of themselves. To understand
why this works, I’m helped by a good definition of humility: it is not thinking
less of me, or putting myself down — rather, it is not thinking about myself at
all.
Most would add that humility is thinking not of myself but
of others, yet that is only partly true. For Christians, the emphasis is on
Jesus Christ. Some people can wrap their lives around the needs of others, yet
do it to live up to their own opinion of themselves, such as “I am a good
person and this is why.” However, with the shift of life and thought from self
to Christ, a humble Christian is set free to serve others without even that
hindrance. I have nothing to prove nor does not matter what people think, not
even what I think. It only matters what Christ thinks and what He says of me,
and of what I should be and do.
Another important part of humility is understanding that
sinners sin. When I fail God and fail myself, I could spend days, even years,
beating myself up for whatever I did or failed to do. However, humility does
not expect perfection. Really, who do I think I am that I should never make a
mistake, or commit a sin? Sinners sin. In recognizing and accepting the
evaluation of Almighty God regarding who and what I am, and in humbly living
with my focus on Jesus who forgives and saves, I can also say, “I shall never
do otherwise if You leave me to myself; it is You who must hinder my falling
and mend what is amiss,” and after that “give himself no further uneasiness
about it.” (Brother Lawrence)
^^^^^^^^^^
Jesus, I’m not there yet, but You have given me a small taste
of the freedom in humility. I totally understand why You call blessed the ‘poor
in spirit’ and say that these are the people who belong in the kingdom of
heaven. But I also understand the problem with humility — as soon as I think I have
it, I don’t.
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