I have often wondered why humility is a subject of immense importance to God. One reason I think it is important is because it is completely antithetical to the pride of life. If you think about it the pride of life is one significant reason why many may never become true disciples of Jesus. Plainly put, the pride of life is pride. Pride led to the fall of Lucifer and pride still goes before a fall. History is replete with tragic examples of the folly of pride. In the church today one of the commonest examples of pride is a grasping for position and prominence. Another example is abrasiveness and a lack of compassion for those who fall short of “our” standards. Yet another example of pride is an inability to celebrate the grace of God in the life of our brothers and sisters. Yet still pride shows up when we want to out do others in our mastery of oratory and knowledge. It may surprise you to know that pride can show up also in a denigration of someone else’s gift because it makes you feel insecure.
One of the big tests of humility is whether we can find peace and harmony with God during times of apparent insignificance. Can you stand being alone and unrecognized? Does your sense of esteem require constant affirmation? Is ministry competition with others? Do you feel you must do what is necessary to gain human affirmation or approval? Can you applaud your brother or sister even when it perpetuates your sense of insignificance or worse still irrelevance? Do you compare your church to other churches in terms of size, offering, congregation, programs etc? If you are confronting these issues then be encouraged because you have illustrious company. Jesus confronted much more in that being equal with God, He did not consider it robbery to be constrained by becoming a man. Now if this didn’t require humility on His part I wonder what else could have required it!
When we fret, worry, struggle for recognition and approval what we are doing is following the path of Lucifer and doubtless God will resist us. The danger is we may have the approval of men but nevertheless be resisted by God. Jesus is the best example of humility. He was subject o His parents. He worked as a carpenter and most of all when it came to the time when He was to be arrested, those who came to arrest Him could not distinguish Him from the disciples who were with Him. Can you imagine that the Captain of our salvation was indistinguishable from His disciples?
Our challenge today is that our Pentecostal brand of Christianity exalts the office of the “Set Man” such that the friendship, fellowship and brotherhood that comes from having many operating as a team is difficult to find. Worse is that very few if any Pentecostal leaders have peers within their local assemblies who can speak frankly and openly without fanning the flames of insecurity or seeming insurrection. We need to re-discover humility and the truth that the best of all men are still men and not God.
Kemela Okara
November 2009
Very insightful & relevant...! wonder though-where does one draw the line between pride in all its ugliness as described here and healthy self confidence , being motivated to succeed,etc?
ReplyDeleteWhat helps I believe is a healthy sense of value before God. After all we are made in His image and likeness. I can't imagine any greater boost for healthy self confidence! With that foundation our success is not driven by competition with others but by a desire to fulfil purpose which is unique to each of us. Fully confident that if we have value in Him then we don't crave or live by the value men ascribe to us. We appreciate it, but if its not there, so be it.
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