The Greatness of Lowliness

 

An Emoji Devotions for Wed 11th of August, 2021

Topic: The greatness of lowliness

By H. U. Wenger

Highlights: 

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”(Proverbs 3:34) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:5b – 6)

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9 – 10)

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” (1 Samuel 12:13 – 14)

Humility is nothing our time is teaching. 

I attended a coaching seminar, and I learned how to teach people to put themselves into the best light and to subtly highlight their achievement without overtly bragging. I do understand that this is somehow required in our competitive business world. Humbleness equals here weakness and psychologically it is viewed as self-belittling and putting oneself down. In the teaching of the Bible it is, however, not at all what lowliness or humility means.

At the core of the biblical understanding of meekness is the conviction that none of my achievements and accomplishments has the power to praise myself. Much more it praises my creator who has gifted me to do such outstanding things. Jesus mentions in John 15:5 – 6:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” In other words, whatever we do without him remains nothing, even if it will look good and finds human praise. Deeds against the will of God are contempt for God and will ultimately get punished as the story of David and Bathsheba reveals, even if the sin against God and fellow humans gets forgiven. 

The most humble man that walked the earth was at the same time the greatest and the only perfect human being, the son of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. In John 13 we are shown how Jesus went up and washed the feet of his disciples. With it he did something, which was way below his status as their master and teacher. When he was finished with it he said to them: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 

If you want to be admired by people, boast with your accomplishments and you will be envied. If you crave for authority, respect and grandeur, live in humility before the Lord according to the prophet Micah, Chapter 6, Verse 8:  “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you have humbled yourself even to the death on the cross for my redemption. Teach me how to humble myself under the obedience to your word. I am craving authority in sharing your gospel and your word. I have nothing to boast about, but with Paul I want to say, by the grace of God I am what I am. Amen.