1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you. Psalm 8:1-2
Luke 3:15-18 (<<click to read the passage)
In recent conversations, the topic of humility has come up. Whether it is in athletics or the workplace…or the church, for that matter, humility goes a long way.
I know a fine young lady who is very gifted in playing basketball. She has what it takes to do well – she scores lots of points for her team, she is a good defensive player, as well. But what makes her even more outstanding is the fact that it is not all about her. She willingly takes the opportunity to set others up so they can shine as well. She does it with great joy! She is humble.
I heard, a while back about a high school baseball player who had been raised to believe that he was all that. Yes, he had great skill but it went to his head to the point where he thought he was so good that he could live above the rules and regulations set for the team. He was not humble.
This is what my Life Application Study Bible had to say about John the Baptist,
“Israel had not seen a prophet for more than 400 years. It was widely believed that when the Messiah would come, prophecy would reappear… When John burst onto the scene, the people were excited. He was obviously a great prophet, and they were sure that the early awaited age of the Messiah had come. Some, in fact, thought John himself was the Messiah. John spoke like the prophets of old, saying that the people must turn from their sin to God to avoid punishment and to experience his mercy and approval. This is a message for all times and places, but John spoke it with particular urgency; he was preparing the people for the coming Messiah.”
Wouldn’t it have been tempting to run with the hearts of the people? God most certainly had put the right man in place – from his conception even! But many would have succumbed to their pride and the power and prestige that comes with stardom. But not John. He made it very clear that he would soon be followed by one greater than he – so much greater that he would even be worthy to “untie the straps of his sandals.” Now that is humility!
Now before we go patting ourselves on the back because we feel that we are not prideful, we don’t have to necessarily outstanding in our field to be prideful.
How many times do we find ourselves in circumstances where someone steps on our toes – yeah, it might hurt but the person doing the stepping may very well be doing the right thing. It might be beneficial even. But because we have done things the way we have done them for so long, we take offense. Where pride can come about is if the “toe stepper” falls for some reason and we find great satisfaction in that fall. Regardless of what was accomplished due to their efforts, all we see is that we are vindicated and the scourge is gone. That is not humility.
Lord Jesus, pride is an easy trap in which to fall. May we follow the example of John – and You for that matter! May we be Your humble followers, always putting You before us and putting others before ourselves. Amen.
Nov 19th, 2019, Tue, 7:33 pm
