Humility With One Another

Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).



           I want to continue on today with my 'One Another' blog series and address the issue of humility.  About 15%  of the 'one another' verses in the New Testament stress an attitude of humility and respect among believers.  Humility is a difficult issue to grasp, because as soon as you think you've got it.. you've lost it with a prideful sense of self reliance.  "Pride has a way of distorting how we see ourselves while humility offers a realistic perspective."
          Humbling ourselves is not just about being a servant to others, but includes being humble enough to accept help.  Pride is the biggest deterrent to the helpful hand of another. Why do we hinder God's provisions for our 'real needs' with our limits on how much we will accept from another?  "It may not be easy to be the one on the receiving end—especially if you’ve usually been the first one to help other people. But with humility, we can allow God to gently care for us by a variety of means when we need help."
          From Matthew Henry's commentary on humility, "We must esteem others in lowliness of mind better than ourselves, be severe upon our own faults and charitable in our judgments of others, be quick in observing our own defects and infirmities, but ready to overlook and make favorable allowances for the defects of others. We must esteem the good which is in others above that which is in ourselves; for we best know our own unworthiness and imperfections." 
          As for myself, humility is an everyday reality I have to submit to.  It does get easier with practice but it's never truly easy.  Pride is ever-present when I have to let others help me but I must turn that prideful attitude into one of gratitude.  I must remember there are other ways of doing things, than just 'my' way.  I must think of my helper's needs, not just my own.  I must flip the 'M' in Me, to make it a 'We' state of mind.  
         The greatest act of humility was when God became human and sent His Son to be with us, teach us, suffer for us, die for us and conquer death for us.  He came to serve, not to be served.  "We must walk in the same spirit and in the same steps with the Lord Jesus, who humbled himself to sufferings and death for us; not only to satisfy God’s justice, and pay the price of our redemption, but to set us an example, and that we might follow his steps." Philippians 2:1-11 are verses that call us to imitate Christ's humility... what an example to follow with one another.  May we all be like-minded with the Spirit of Christ.

Proverbs 22:4

"Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life."

James 3:13

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

Humility with 'one another' verses:

1. Give preference to one another in honor (Ro 12:10)
2. Regard one another as more important than yourselves (Php 2:3)
3. Serve one another (Ga 5:13)
4. Wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14)
5. Don’t be haughty: be of the same mind (Ro 12:16)
6. Be subject to one another (Ep 5:21)
7. Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another (1 Pe 5:5)

Unity With One Another

1 Peter 4:7-11  " The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."



       The world is a divided place in all kinds of areas but 'the church' should be a united front for The Gospel and the fulfillment of The Great Commission.  God knew how our personalities and own agendas would try to interfere with His work through us so I think that is why 1/3 of the 'one another' commands in the New Testament deals with the unity of the church.  We should all strive to think of others before ourselves and when we do, unity will follow. "Misunderstandings and disagreements occur everywhere we find people. Church is no exception. If we don’t handle our differences in a healthy way, they can harden into divisions." "God's goal is cooperation, not competition." odb.org  
       As the verse above says 'love covers over a multitude of sins', so let us show the same forgiveness, compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience with others, as God has blessed ourselves with.   May we live out what we sing about... "We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity will one day be restored.  We will walk hand in hand and together we'll spread the news that God in our land.  We will work side by side and we'll guard each other's dignity and save each other's pride. And they'll know we are Christians by our love."
       Galations 6:10  "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

    

Specific 'One Another' Verses on Unity....

1. Be at peace with one another (Mk 9:50)
2. Don’t grumble among one another (Jn 6:43)
3. Be of the same mind with one another (Ro 12:16, 15:5)
4. Accept one another (Ro 15:7)
5. Wait for one another before beginning the Communion (1 Co 11:33)
6. Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another with quarrels and animosity (Ga 5:15)
7. Don’t boastfully challenge or envy one another (Ga 5:26).
8. Gently, patiently tolerate one another (Ep 4:2)
9. Be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another (Ep 4:32)
10. Bear with and forgive one another (Co 3:13)
11. Seek good for one another, and don’t repay evil for evil (1 Th 5:15)
12. Don’t complain against one another (Jas 4:11, 5:9)
13. Confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16)

     What a list to strive for!!  We can't achieve it on our own but with the Holy Spirit guiding us.. all things are possible through Christ.  May His Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Your Response

1 Peter 3:13-17  "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.  For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

Ecclessiastes 7:8-9  "The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.  Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,    for anger resides in the lap of fools."


      Do you ever feel trigger-ready with your thoughts and opinions?  Yes, me too.  We may feel the oppression of the world when we try to share our Christian beliefs with others.  As we are to be bold in our faith, we should always be respectful and gentle in both our words and approach.  In general, we should avoid indiscretion, injustice, falsehood and merciless speech with others.
         Our Christian faith can only be supported by a good conscience and a holy-led life.  " A good conscience and a good conversation are the best means to secure a good name; these give a solid reputation and a lasting one."

         How do we respond to uncomfortable situations?

1] We must be humble.
2] We must bear the spiritual fruit of patience.
3] We must control our passion with wisdom and grace.
4] We are to make the best of what is, without making it worse.

        "It is folly to complain of the badness of our own times when we have more reason to complain of the badness of our own hearts (if men’s hearts were better, the times would mend) and when we have more reason to be thankful that they are not worse, but that even in the worst of times we enjoy many mercies, which help to make them not only tolerable, but comfortable."
        God wants us to understand that our afflictions are not meaningless.  We can be rebellious in our response to hardships but that's not the path God intends for us to take. When sin and suffering meet, the suffering becomes extreme, unprofitable, unbearable and destructive to the mind and soul.
         As for myself, I can't control what is happening to my physical body but I can [try to] control my response to it's progressive weakening.  I try to choose daily to keep an attitude of perseverance, but I sometimes fail.  God gives us both mountains and valleys to make us stronger.  I don't just call it quits when I can no longer do something that I previously could. God's mercies are new every morning and what He gives I want to make the most of. Adapt and proceed forward!!  When God wants me to quit my earthly race, He will call me home. Until then, Lord please keep me humble and patient as I make the best out of what You give with wisdom and grace.

Worthy? That's Not The Question

"Love is not a matter of duty and bondage; rather, life in the Spirit is a life of care and concern for others, enabled by the Spirit."  odb.org

         As you read the caption above, it is implied that we might think we ourselves are worthy of love but others might not be.  That's stinkin' thinkin'.  No one is good, no not one.. but God alone.  God is worthy of our praise and obedience.  Mark 10:18 "“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone." So when God's second commandment commands us to  'love one another', there is no prerequisite required of the other upon which we show love to. Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"God, being good infinitely, originally, and eternally, is to be loved in the first place, and nothing loved beside him, but what is loved for him. Love is the first and great thing that God demands from us, and therefore the first and great thing that we should devote to him."

How can we love one another?

1] Have honor and respect for all.
2] Do not wrong or injure others by our words or actions.
3] Good will and thoughts for all.
4] Deny ourselves for the good of another.
5] Make ourselves a servant for the true benefit of others.


Love Fulfills the Law--Romans 13:8-10

" Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

       We teach children 'The Golden Rule'.. Matthew 7:12  “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  "Jesus knew that people are naturally lovers of self, and the command uses that human flaw as a place to start in how to treat others. Jesus’ Golden Rule is a positive command to show love proactively." We must not be hypocrites, but understand that 'but for the grace of God go I.'  So when you see hardship, despair or simple need... consider in what way you yourself might want a helping hand or kind gesture or loving word , if you were on the receiving end.  

Sharing Your Testimony

 Romans 14: 10-12  "For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me;  every tongue will acknowledge God.’”  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."

      God works in a lot of ways through us to others.  We can be good or bad examples by how we live and respond to our daily encounters with joy and hardships. You may be the only 'bible' someone sees and reads.  I challenge you to write out and share your testimony, how God came in and changed your life for His eternal purposes.  I'm not saying it's easy, because this has been my toughest blog to write thus far.  It is rewarding though because you are reminded of His faithfulness, even if you don't put it all on paper to share everything.

My testimony…

          From the beginning, I was raised in the church.  As a child,  I faced the weakness of this body that my soul was in.  I found comfort in what I was being taught in children’s church and other youth activities.  I learned who Jesus was..my Creator, my Redeemer,  my Healer, my Sustainer, and my Savior for my sin debt.  At the age of 9, I gave my life to the Lord and was baptized.  I wanted to feel secure in knowing where I’d spend eternity if my life were to end and to have my own relationship with Christ.

         At the age of 9, I had not really faced many temptations of the world, but I knew I was a sinner in need of His grace to save me.   As I grew older, I knew I did have the Spirit of peace within me as I dealt with life’s trials of surgeries, being different than my friends and just life as a young girl in a wicked world.  I found strength through prayer.  My downfall was the belief in myself, as much as the Spirit within me. 

Proverbs 22:6  “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

         Even when I was away from church, the desire to seek more of God remained in me.  I know God has been working on my sanctification in many ways and opportunities.  One example, a church student union at college allowed me to park my scooter in their building.  After making friends there, I ended up in a bible study and back in His Word.

          My life wasn’t a ‘total’ surrender to His will until the age of 30. I’m guilty of wanting what the world offered and ignoring the cost of it.  God allowed me to have all that I wanted from the world…a marriage, a home, a career…but I failed to put Him first and above all things.. therefore I reaped the consequences.  I’m thankful for that discipline.

Ephesians 2:1-3  "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath."

        My life was at a crossroad of choice.. will I hang on to my will or trust in His guiding?  My world was stripped away and what I thought was my end..was actually my new beginning.  I thank God for doing whatever it took..and yes it hurt a lot…to get my dependence centered on Him alone.  I thank God that since age 9, I've never felt truly alone.  I thank God that as much as I’ve failed Him and chosen the world, that He hasn’t given up on me and continues His good work in me.  I thank God that I am forgiven because of His sacrifice.  I thank God that I don’t fear death because of His resurrection and promises that He has prepared a place for me with Him.  I thank God for His continuing grace and mercy that provides for my daily needs, my desires according to His will and for my eternal salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-10  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Where The Mind Can Drift To

Psalm 139:23  "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."

Philippians 4:4-7  " Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

      Anxiety is the work of the the devil and can keep us from knowing the work of God, the Prince of Peace, in our lives. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and a sound mind." "Every time you feel fear in your life, it is a manifestation of the kingdom of darkness. Fear is one of the ruling spirits."  God goes before us in everything but it is our duty to ask God to prepare our hearts and minds for what lies ahead of us.  Giving into fear can make you miss out on God's blessings that were meant for you.
       Genesis 12:1 "The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you."  What a reason for anxious thoughts, right?  Would you just trust and obey, even with direct words from God back then?  Genesis 12:4 "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him."  Abram obeyed because he trusted in God's promises in verses 2 and 3.."“I will make you into a great nation,  and I will bless you; I will make your name great,  and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you,  and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth  will be blessed through you."
       As the caption illustrates, our anxious thoughts can take our minds down a whirlwind of possibilities.  The fear of the unknown can be debilitating.  What do we know in any and all situations.. 1]God is working for the good of all believers, 2] God is in control, 3] Our prayers are always heard, 4] God will sustain you, even if your worst fear comes to pass, and 5] Satan will tempt you to doubt God's plan for your life but God's word is our comfort and hope.
      As for myself... I've been scared at times, like everyone, but I try to keep my fear under control.  I've been in situations where I've been forced to wait on God to provide with no ability of my own to escape... like my scooter being stuck in the snow until neighbors came home, being laid out in the middle of the street face down with a broken nose from a fall until a driver stopped to help, or having to give up my life's path to the new one God had set before me.  My trust in God has never been a wrong decision, so why can't I be quicker to trust and obey?  Sanctification is a long road and sometimes my walk is slow with 3 steps forward and 2 steps back.
       May your anxious thoughts go first to our Wonderful Counselor, Comforter and Healer.  "We put down our burdens when we bring them to the Lord in prayer. The apostle Peter says, "Cast all your anxiety on [Jesus] because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Because He cares for us, we can rest and relax as we learn to trust Him. Instead of carrying the burdens that weigh us down and weary us, we can give them to the Lord and let Him carry them." [odb.org]

God Made Them All

"Maker of Heaven and Earth"

All things bright and beautiful, 

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day;--

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well. 

Romans 1:20  "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

       "Maker of Heaven and Earth", aka "All Creatures Great and Small", is my favorite poem of all that I've ever read.  The author gives credit and thankfulness to the Creator for what he sees that surrounds him every day.  He points out the wide range of God's creative handiwork, yet the distinct order to which all things are sustained by God.  There is so much around us that is neither man-made, man-controlled, or man-sustained.  The sun, the moon, the stars are held in place by God's power alone.  Man has no strings to intervene in how they operate, but they bless us each day and night.  The seasons come and go with regularity, so how can we not fathom a God who will provide for us, like he does so abundantly in nature?   

Let's look to a few of the many verses of Scripture for the facts:

1] God is the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler of all.  

Isaiah 44:24  "“This is what the Lord says—   your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:I am the Lord,    the Maker of all things,  who stretches out the heavens,  who spreads out the earth by myself"  

2] God is omnipresent in all He has created.
  Psalm 139:7-12 

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you."

3] The order and beauty of the universe reflect and proclaim the existence, wisdom and power of God.

Proverbs 8:22-31

“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
    before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
    before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
    so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30     Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind."

        Have you not seen? Have you not heard?  Have you not felt the power of God in all that surrounds your own life?  We all have, so no one is excusable to not praise Him for everything.  All the earth will one day bow down before Him.  With the whales talking, the trees rustling, the oceans echoing and with all of nature's sounds.. when put together, it's an orchestra of praise.  Start right now and let God hear your praise and thankfulness from your heart...no excuses to wait.