Humility: Oh he wants us to do that!

[Michi713]

Why did Jesus wash Judas' feet?  Why did he liken the Canaanite woman to a dog and then marvel at her?  What was it that he kept trying to relay to his disciples but they never really got until much later?  If his disciples missed it, how many Christians through the ages have missed it.  How many right now are totally in the dark?
 

Writers in the 19th century were just better.  Andrew Murray is one such author who wrote Humility.

Here are some excerpts: 

 

"(Humility) is the great end of God raising a new creation out of a fallen kingdom of angels: for this end it stands in its state of war betwixt the fire and pride of fallen angels, and the humility of the Lamb of God, that the last trumpet may sound the great truth through the depths of eternity, that evil can have no beginning but from pride, and no end but from humility."

 

"Look not at pride only as an unbecoming temper, nor at humility only as a decent virtue: for the one is death, and the other is life; the one is all hell, the other is all heaven.  So much as you have pride within you, you have of the fallen angels alive in you; so much as you have true humility, so much you have the Lamb of God within you."

 

[Michi713]

PRIDE

 

"Pride has its root and strength in a terrible spiritual power, outside of us as well as within us; as needful as it is that we confess and deplore it as our very own, is to know it in its Satanic origin." 
 

What quality of Satan precipitated his exile?  Pride because of his beauty.

What quality in Eve did Satan appeal to that catalyzed the fall?  Pride: "you will be like gods."

 

It is not always overtly evil and cartoon-like such as Pride Week, or an obnoxious politician.  
 

"All want of love, all indifference to the needs, the feelings, the weakness of others; all sharp and hasty judgements and utterances, so often excused under the plea of being outright and honest; all manifestations of temper and touchiness and irritation; all feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride."

 

"Pride and self have the all of man, till man has his all from Christ."

 

 

 

 

[Michi713]

TRIGGERED

 

Traditionally, humility came easier for women who had a subordinate position to men.  Women's existence was predominately to serve the family and community.  In modern times women are taught to resent and reject their God-given subordination to men (which was actually a gift because God gives us what we need, for our own good).  

 

People of limited means and low social standing were able to learn humility easier than the wealthy and politically connected.  Not anymore.  The poor are converted to victims and assigned a special status in society.  

 

In the me, I  culture in which we reside, all humans of all stations of life are equally susceptible to the snare of self-regard just for the fact that everything offends everyone. 

 

[Michi713]

HUMILITY:  HOW?

 

"How can we count others better than ourselves when we see that they are far below us in wisdom and holiness, in natural gifts, or in grace received?  The question proves how little we understand what real lowliness of mind is."

 

"Listen to the words in which Jesus speaks of his relation to the Father, and how unceasingly He uses the words not, and nothing of Himself."

 

"The Son can do nothing of himself" (John 5:41)

"I can of my own self do nothing; my judgement is just, because I seek not mine own will" (John 5:30)

"I receive not glory from men" (John 5:41)

"I am come not to do my own will" (John 6:38) 

"My teaching is not mine" (John 7:16)

"I am not come of myself" (John 7:28)

"I do nothing myself" (John 8:28)

"I seek not mine own glory" (John 8:50)

 

In his words and actions he demonstrates to us how.

 

"It is this: he became nothing, that God might be all.

True humility comes when, in the light of God, we have seen ourselves to be nothing, have consented to part with and cast away self, to let God be all."

 

Matthew 16:24

 

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 

Denying the self is an action be done continually. "Take every opportunity to humble yourself before God and man."

 

"We know the law of human nature:  acts produce habits, habits breed dispositions, dispositions form the will, and the rightly formed will is character."

 

"I knew Jesus, and He was very precious to my soul: but I found something in me that would not keep sweet and patient and kind.  I did what I could to keep it down, but it was there.  I besought Jesus to do something for me, and when I gave him my will, He came into my heart and took out all that would not be sweet, all that would not be kind, all that would not be patient, and then He shut the door."

-George Fox