The Crucial Virtue
The Crucial Virtue
What will Christians esteem most highly as history hurtles towards its climax? Power? Revelation? Supernatural experiences? Success?
 Teresa of Avila (Spain) |
Humility is one of the greatest virtues at all times, because it is at the heart of the nature and character of God Himself,
"The Lord is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth." (Psalm 113.4-6)
"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." (Philippians 2.5-8)
The word "humility" (humus=soil,earth) essentially means "lowliness".
Modern Western "celebrity" culture generally despises it, and today's "gung-ho" Christianity usually considers it an embarrassment and a liability ... especially so far as leadership is concerned. But the Lord delights in it, and in its manifestation in the character and lifestyle of His People,
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken (humbled) and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51.17)
"For this is what the high and lofty One says - He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57.15)
"This is the one I esteem: He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word." (Isaiah 66.2)
But not only does the Lord delight in this virtue, He also sets it forth as being crucial in the Last Days,
"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time ... the time of His visitation." (1 Peter 5.5-6)
The time of God's ultimate visitation is Jesus' return to be "king over the whole earth". (Zechariah 14.9) His authentically lowly ones will be best positioned and equipped to serve Him immediately before and during these great and terrible days. By such humility the Lord began to usher in His Kingdom,
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your King comes to you, gentle (humble) and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " (Matthew 21.5)
And by just such a People, He will consummate it,
"And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation 11.3)
("Yet ... I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting." Psalm 35.13)
FOOTNOTE
The following are divine, practical pointers, indicating how we may pursue an "education" in lowliness, thus humbling ourselves "under God's mighty hand",
"But when you are invited (to a wedding feast), take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honoured in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14.7-11)
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you...Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves." (Romans 12.3&10)
