How to Grow in Humility
By Van Ivan
Text: Philippians 2: 1- 11
Introduction
Who is humble among us? I think no one will say, I am a humble one. Ex. Sometime, Women are very difficult beings to understand for me. Suppose I went out with a lady. We are about to cross the road and I hold her hand or arm sincerely because I just only wanted to lead her to the other side of the road. But she thought, I want to get an advantage of her. If I will not help her, she will say again, you are not a gentleman. So it’s hard to understand women. It’s just like humility.
What is humility? According Dictionary, Humility is denying self for the sake of serving others.
But let us learn from the Bible, what is humility? Humility is a virtue more difficult to understand. Once you deeply desire it in your life, you might not be able to have it. Once you claim that you have it, you might end up being too humble to be proud or too proud to be humble. On the other hand, if you pursue it, the more it will go away. Humility is a very virtue that many Christians neglect to pursue now a days.
However, clearly God desires His children to be people of humility. Here are many passages in the Bible, which we can see in Micah 6: 8, Prov 22: 4 and Matt. 18: 4.
In view of above the Scriptures, especially our passage for today Phil: 2: 1-11. I propose that every Christian should grow in humility.
Q. How can you grow in Humility?
You can grow by taking into consideration the following factors.
I. Humility grows out of your concern for others ( 1-4).
The number one enemy of humility is self-centeredness. Once you pursue humility with yourself in the center, you will end up with proud. Apostle Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves (3).
How can we in humility consider others better than yourselves? I believe that this is possible by shifting our focus from ourselves to others. We can do that if we show our concern to them. How? You can do this…
A. By sharing what you have to others (1-2).
In these, Paul said, we need to practice sharing what we have to others. When we talk about sharing, we have to talk about hoarding; it’s the opposite of sharing. Why do people hoard things for themselves? Is it for the security? Yes, deep inside of us we want something in extra in case of emergencies. However, I observe that people accumulate things not necessarily for security sake.
Why do some people have many cars or houses? Of course they can afford it. They can afford to hoard things instead of sharing to others out of their abundance. Do they hoard houses or things for security? I don’t think so. I guess it is because of pride. It is so good to the self to own so many things. It elevates you above other people. I believe this is the reason why some people take so much effort to accumulate things such as houses, properties, jewelries etc. People hoard many things, not for security sake but for pride.
Paul said: 1. Being like – minded
2. Having the same love
3. Being one in Spirit
4. Being one in purpose
How can we do these except through sharing???
What you have in this life that you treasured most? Money, Fame, Jewelries, properties, friends and books etc… Can you share these things to others? If you want to grow in humility, grow your concern for others.
B. By seeking the interest of others (4)
Paul said, each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others. How do you handle your own interest? Are you doing it half-heartedly or you don’t really care about anything in this life?
However, all of us here seriously study. We take time and much effort to insure that our lives will improve every day. We want to educate in the best school. We want to give the best that this life can offer to our loved ones. We want to educate our children to the best school. We want to enjoy life much. I believe that it is part of God’s will for us. God wants us to have abundantly. However, this is only one part; the other part is that we will be mindful of the interest of others. God wants us to share the comfort that we are enjoying now to others, may that be in materials, friendships, opportunities, and educations. God wants us to help others succeed in this life. God wants us to enjoy life with others. And God wants others to enjoy life with us.
Some think that humility or humbleness is somehow a kind of weakness. It’s a weakness, wherein people can abuse you. But the truth is humility is not a weakness but strength, Strength to refocus your attention from yourself to others. It is strength to be concern for others. It is the a strength that everyone can’t do it. Therefore, if you want to grow in humility, the right step to do is not pursuing humility itself but it grows out of your concern for others.
II. Humility grows out of your Christ likeness (5- 11).
The word of God says that if you want to grow in humility, be more like Christ. Apostle Paul said, “Your attitude should be the same as that Christ. The more you will be like Christ, the more you will grow in humility.
How can we be like Christ in humility?
A. By sharing Christ’s humiliation (5- 8).
Paul describes Christ’s humiliation in the following words “who being in very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (6).
Jesus is God but He didn’t consider His being God as something to hold on or cling on. Now I want you to look to your own life. What is that things that you keep on holding on? Can you let it go? Remember Our Master Jesus who is the highest of all, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.. In King James, “But made Himself of no reputation.”
The greater part of Christ humiliation is Paul said in verse 8, and being found in appearance as a man. He humbles himself and became obedient to death even dead on the cross. How did we people were born and how did people die? I guess we are far better than Christ; the way we were born and die. As if for Jesus, this humble experience is not yet enough, He humbled himself again. This time, it did not only cost of his reputation but his life. Humility is allowing God to take control of your whole life.
Because of Christ’s humiliation, we are here today, studying and enjoying life every day. We need to do the same as Christ. Let’s make others to enjoy good life because of our humiliation. When all these things had been accomplished by Christ, an amazing thing had happened. This is the exaltation of Christ.
B. By sharing Christ’s exaltation (9- 11)
Many people view the death of Christ on the cross at Calvary. It is very tragic death. Is his death stop there at the Calvary? Of course not. Paul said, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.. How did Jesus exalt to the highest? If he did not go down to the point of human likeness, did not die on the cross, he will not be exalted and that every knee wont bow and every tongue wont confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. As we read in these verses, we already learned and know that how Christ did.
There is one example that I would like to share and meditate on it. If you want to see very tall building or let’s say 100 floors of condominiums, how did the people build? They dig down inside deep foundation. The more they dig out, the more the building can stand high and strong. Therefore, its just like the same that in order to grow in humility, we have to be like that. If the foundation is shallow, then the building can’t stand high. It’s very good example that will help us to understand better how humility is.
Conclusion
Dear friends, If you want to grow in humility, don’t pursue humility itself, but rather it’s
1.by sharing what you have to others.
2. by seeking the interest of others.
3. by sharing Christ’s humiliation.
4. by sharing Christ’s exaltation alone that we can grow in humility. AMEN.
May God bless you all!
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