Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The Hardest Humility
Part of being humble is a good grasp of your own strengths and weaknesses. Christ never denied He was God - it was what He did with His deity that made Him the ultimate model of humility. And then he entrusted His ministry to twelve guys that had no where near His capabilities.
How hard do you think it was for Jesus to watch those guys take those first bumbling steps? Don't you think the urge to "pitch in" would have been almost overwhelming? Wouldn't you, in the same place, have wanted to come in and take over so the job would get done "right."
I am not a preacher, though I have had occassion to preach in my life. I do do a great deal of public speaking and am told I am fairly good at it. I am never more pained at church than when someone takes to the pulpit and I know, just know, I could do it better. It's not a matter of ego, it is simply an evaluation of capabilities. I have little desire to preach really, but I would sure rather do it sometimes than listen to some of the what I have been subjected to in my life.
This is the point where I am learning humility. You see genuine humility is not even about capabilities - it is about resting solely and wholly on God. I indeed might be able to preach better than who I am listening to on any particular occassion, but that is not the point. It is not a question of who is better or best, it is a question of who God is using. If God wanted to use me that way, I would be a preacher.
When I think about learning humility, I find it fairly easy to learn it concerning myself. All that I am, all that I have, all that I can do is by the glory and gift of God. That's where humility starts. I have little trouble with that.
Oh, but how much trouble I have, and I think many of us have, with believing the same in others. But that is where developing genuine humility leads us - to not only acknowledging that the gifts and talents we have are from God, but that it is His to decide when, where, and how to use them - and further, that He may choose to use others less capable.
You see, if my gifts and capabilities are from Him, that means He is not relying on me; He is just using me, and relying on Himself. I need to rely on Him too.
Related Tags: gifts, talents, capabilities, humility, others, reliance
How hard do you think it was for Jesus to watch those guys take those first bumbling steps? Don't you think the urge to "pitch in" would have been almost overwhelming? Wouldn't you, in the same place, have wanted to come in and take over so the job would get done "right."
I am not a preacher, though I have had occassion to preach in my life. I do do a great deal of public speaking and am told I am fairly good at it. I am never more pained at church than when someone takes to the pulpit and I know, just know, I could do it better. It's not a matter of ego, it is simply an evaluation of capabilities. I have little desire to preach really, but I would sure rather do it sometimes than listen to some of the what I have been subjected to in my life.
This is the point where I am learning humility. You see genuine humility is not even about capabilities - it is about resting solely and wholly on God. I indeed might be able to preach better than who I am listening to on any particular occassion, but that is not the point. It is not a question of who is better or best, it is a question of who God is using. If God wanted to use me that way, I would be a preacher.
When I think about learning humility, I find it fairly easy to learn it concerning myself. All that I am, all that I have, all that I can do is by the glory and gift of God. That's where humility starts. I have little trouble with that.
Oh, but how much trouble I have, and I think many of us have, with believing the same in others. But that is where developing genuine humility leads us - to not only acknowledging that the gifts and talents we have are from God, but that it is His to decide when, where, and how to use them - and further, that He may choose to use others less capable.
You see, if my gifts and capabilities are from Him, that means He is not relying on me; He is just using me, and relying on Himself. I need to rely on Him too.
Related Tags: gifts, talents, capabilities, humility, others, reliance
