Humility Part 2

HUMILITY Part 2
Vineyard Church NW - Jody Burgin


HUMILITY vs. Pride
Recognizing and acknowledging my total dependence upon the Lord and seeking his will for every decision

“I will…”
Give credit to those who have made me successful.
Praise my parents, teachers, mentors and coaches.
Not think more highly of myself than I ought to think.
Take responsibility for all my actions.
Try again after each defeat.
But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:7)

Who is the truly spiritual person? Someone said that the truly humble are truly spiritual. But what is humility? When you are truly humble, you are invariably unaware that you possess humility. Also when you are “spiritual,” you are unselfconscious about the spirit within. People who take credit for their own humility immediately become proud of being humble, which is an impossibility. A person in whom God fully dwells displays a naturalness and an innocence that deny any special gift at all. A man living in barrier free, intimate connection with God is transparent. Honesty and humility exist without thought or effort and therefore prove their existence without awareness or display.

As we learn the difference between living and living well, we realize that what we seek is not self-justification and self-salvation but God. God is the only answer to our condition. He must replace any phony, contrived, or prideful ploy we use. Only he can drive out our hypocrisy and dishonesty. Only he can replace our old center with his own life of love. We will lose our sense of self-concern and give up our need to assert our will when God has taken over. Then we will be humble, but we won’t know it or care. We will only live for Christ.

“The most excellent method of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing people but purely for the love of God” (Brother Lawrence).

Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God. Perhaps all beside is foolishness and pride.

O Christ, melt me down into your spirit so that you may become my everything.