Humility, Humility, Humility
Humility, Humility, Humility
You can't get too much humility. Ever seen someone with fake humility? Put it in quotes - it was "humility," not humility. "Humility" draws attention to itself, tries to manipulate people, is a contrived effort driven by fear of man and envy of the truly humble. Not the same thing. Satan can mimic some virtues of the Kingdom fairly well. But some virtues are so holy, so beautiful, that Satan cannot figure out how to portray them from a sinful heart. Humility is among the trickiest. Note the actors or characters in a novel who try to appear humble-you can fake love, but pseudo-humility is always pretty transparent. It is time those of us who feign humility realize that even good actors, with a script and a director and several takes, really stink at recreating humility. Any pretended version is at best a caricature; fake humility is as meaningful, and as true as loving pornography. With so many people claiming to be Christians who clearly are not, and with our churches filled with people playing the Cultural Christian, thus being forced to fake one of the key areas of maturity, humility, you would think we would be experts in this. But we know little about this virtue. Since it is something we are rather than something we do, Western Christians have little interest in writing books or even articles about this virtue. Having said that, we should make it our duty to reflect on true humility, so we can better detect the fake in those under our care and more importantly, in ourselves.
I humbly acknowledge my dependence upon the work of J.C. Ryle from his book Holiness for the concepts and verbiage behind the next few paragraphs.
Beginning in Humility: The Christian life begins in humility, or not at all. Ryle says, "He that desires to be saved -- let him know this day that the first steps towards heaven are a deep sense of sin and a low estimate of self. Let him cast away that weak and silly tradition that the beginning of religion is to feel good about ourselves. Let him rather grasp that we must begin by feeling bad and that, until we really feel bad we know nothing of true goodness or saving Christianity. Happy is he who has learned to draw near to God with the prayer of the publican 'God be merciful to me a sinner'" (Luke 18:13).
There is much benefit in seeking to be fulfilled in Christ and His Gospel promises - let John Piper's (borrowed from Jonathan Edwards) message of Christian hedonism encourage us to glorify God by enjoying him forever. But seeking self-actualization, self-aggrandizement, self-improvement from God? It makes as much sense as the mouse seeking the same from a cat.
Humility and Sanctification: How do you know you are growing in Christ? Ryle says, "The man or woman whose soul is growing feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness more every year. He or she is ready to say with Job, 'I am vile,' and with Abraham, 'I am dust and ashes,' and with Jacob, 'I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies,' and with David, 'I am a worm,' and with Isaiah, 'I am a man of unclean lips,' and with Peter, 'I am a sinful man, O Lord' (Job 40:4; Gen. 18:27; 32:10; Ps. 22:6; Isa. 6:5; Luke 5:8). The nearer he draws to God and the more he sees of God's holiness and perfections, the more thoroughly is he sensible of his own countless imperfections. The further he journeys in the way to heaven, the more he understands what St. Paul meant when he says, 'I am not already perfect,' 'I am not meet to be called an apostle," 'I am less than the least of all saints,' 'I am chief of sinners' (Phil. 3:12; 1 Cor. 15:9; Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 1:15). The riper he is for glory, the more, like the ripe corn, he hangs down his head. The brighter and clearer is his light, the more he sees of the shortcomings and infirmities of his own heart. When first converted, he would tell you he saw but little of them compared to what he sees now. Would anyone know whether he is growing in grace? Be sure that you look within for increased humility."
Is Ryle saying that the vivacious, the loud, the type-A personalities of this world are doomed to immaturity until they become wimps? What does it look like for a CEO to be humble? A football coach, a talkative, intelligent mom, a policeman? How can they do what they do and be conformed to the image of humility that Ryle portrays?
Humble Like King Jesus: Jesus seems to be rather opinionated. Talkative, unafraid of controversy; the crowds marveled at His authority manifested in His preaching. How could this powerful Man be humble? Ryle says, "The more we have of it, the more Christ-like we shall be. It is written of our blessed Master (though in Him there was no sin) that 'being in the form of God He thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' (Phil. 2:6-8). And let us remember the words that precede that passage: 'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.' Depend on it: the nearer men draw to heaven, the more humble do they become. In the hour of death, with one foot in the grave, with something of the light of heaven shining down upon them, hundreds of great saints and church dignitaries-such men as Selden, Bishop Butler, Archbishop Longley-have left on record their confession, that never till that hour did they see their sins so clearly, and feel so deeply their debt to mercy and grace."
Let us watch and pray and learn from humble brothers and sisters. Let us avoid like the plague those who would infect us with their false humility, and ask us to play along with their game. Remember, "Many are humbled, but not humble, low, but not lowly" (John Trapp).