Humility
There was a beautiful angel, perfect in every way, perfect in wisdom, and very talented. He was also kind, loving and so gentle. .He was God’s masterpiece; the other angels admired him and obeyed him. Then something happened to this beautiful angel–he changed. He became a devil and the father of all evil and sin. What did it? What changed him? We read in Isa. 14:12- 14, “How art thou fallen, 0 Lucifer? For thou said in thine heart, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. .. I will be like the most High.” What changed this lovely angel to a devil? It was pride, self-exaltation.
In Provo 16:18 we read, “Pride goeth before destruction.” This is a law that God has made. How many proud rulers, kings, leaders, have fallen because of it. King Nebuchadnezzar had built a world empire, the greatest kingdom in the world” and a beautiful palace for himself and he became proud of it. He thought, “Who could be against him, who could withstand him, was there an army stranger than his army, was there a king greater than him”. Yes-there was a king greater than him; there was an army stronger than his army. Dan. 4:30-32 reads, “The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, 0 king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; the kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass” as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.”
He had forgotten that there was a God in heaven. There is a king who executes judgment and who overrules. While the proud words were in his mouth a voice came from heaven, “The kingdom is departed from thee until thou know that the most High ruleth.” Where?-In the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.
“Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6 Humility and meekness are some of the most beautiful characteristics we can have. The Bible speaks of “an ornament of meekness”. Humility is the secret to success and to honor. James 4: 10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”. When God, the king of the universe shall lift us up it is the greatest honor we can have. Jesus said, “The meek shall inherit the earth”. And Paul writes in Phil. 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves”. This is the secret of unity and love among brethren; this is the secret of true fellowship. But this is one of the most difficult lessons to learn.
A humble man cannot be offended or hurt. No insult or abuse will offend him. He feels that he deserves this insult and this abuse. He actually feels that he deserves even worse treatment for his sins and that is death. But those wonderful characteristics of meekness and humility are one of the hardest’ lessons to learn. They are not natural characteristics of human beings but must be learned in the school of Christ.
We often admire the great men in the Bible and wish to be like them. Of John the Baptist, Jesus gave witness “That there has not risen greater than him”. Matt. 11:11. Moses was a man with whom God spoke face to face as a man speaks with a man and not by dreams and visions as with prophets. Of Job God said, “And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:8.
Solomon was the wisest and the richest king in Israel. Also we admire apostle Paul the great apostle to the Gentiles and most of all Jesus Christ Himself. What was their greatness? What was the secret to their honor? The greatness of John the Baptist we find in John 3:30 in the words, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. Very few people have spoken these words of themselves with a sincere heart. There are no words more humble, more submissive or more unselfish. When John spoke these words, he was in the best of his manhood. He had just accomplished a great revival. Thousands of people had come to him, to listen to his words and to be baptized. Now as he spoke the words that “He must increase and I must decrease” he meant that he must become smaller than he is now, less noticed, less admired, less wanted, and less accepted. I must be put aside and Christ must increase and become the center of attention.
What was the greatness of Moses? Was it his training in the court of Pharaoh? No, that time God could not use him yet until he learned the lesson of humility. His greatness was that he became the meekest man on the earth. It took 40 years of humble service to learn this characteristic. He was taken from the royal palace to care for sheep. This work was far below his talents and education, but it was necessary. The meekness he learned was his greatness and in importance far above his other talents.
Job was a great man of whom God gave the witness that he was a perfect man and that “There is none like him on the earth”. His greatness is seen in his humility at the time when he had lost all he had and humbly he accepted it without complaining. It says in Job 1: 21, 22 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Job understood that all good things come from the Lord and that is by grace that we have life and necessities, and if they are taken away the loving God must have a reason for it.
The greatness of Solomon we learn is in his own words, “I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in”. 1 Kings 3:7. It was for his humble confession that God gave him wisdom and also riches and honor.
Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles did not call himself good or faithful but the chief of sinners. His words, “For I know that in me…dwelleth no good thing…” Rom. 7:18, shows the humble opinion he had of himself.
The greatest example of meekness is our Lord, Jesus Christ Paul writes of~, “Let this mind be also in you that was in Christ Jesus”. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8
His humility is seen when He stooped down to wash His disciples’ feet. He, the Creator and the King of the universe washing the dusty feet of sinful men. Little earlier His disciples had been arguing about who is the greatest among them and none of them would stoop so low as to serve each other in such a humble manner.
Should we not have this mind of Jesus? How wonderful would it be if we all would be so humble and so meek as Jesus was. Is there a reason or justification for human pride? Can a condemned criminal who is sentenced to death who is so helpless and worthless and only a child of dust, corrupted and selfish have some reason to feel proud of himself? Even the best of us are only instruments in the hand of God. Can a hammer or a saw build a house–certainly not. Therefore also without Christ we can do nothing. God needs different tools for different kinds of work. A builder is not always using a hammer or a saw in his work, he uses other tools also.
There was a time when Moses offered himself to work for the Lord, but the Lord did not use him for the next forty years until suddenly he was called into service as a special instrument in the hand of God. Again, later the Lord laid him down and called Joshua to: continue the work.
Nothing could Moses have done if the Lord had not used him, and nothing can we do if the Lord does not take us into His hand and use us to do His work.
When we understand that without Him we can do nothing, then humility takes place in us. And with the humility comes a happy life because a humble person cannot be offended, he cannot be hurt. He realizes that he is worthy of death and therefore he deserves nothing. He has no rights nor claims.
Would we ask God to ‘do justice to us and give us our rights, then He would have to put us to death, because this would be justice to us for this is what we deserve and this would be the only rights what belong to us. It is the mercy of God that we are living. It is by grace that we have a hope of eternal life. This is far more than we deserve.
It is a great privilege for a man to be used by God in His cause. God is calling humble workers to step into line. He is calling men and women who realize their own nothingness and helplessness. We read in the Spirit of Prophecy, “The minister for God should in an eminent degree possess humility. Those who have the deepest experience in the things of God are the farthest removed from pride and self-exaltation. Because they have an exalted conception of the glory of God, they feel that the lowest place in His service is too honorable for them.” GW 142. “When men exalt themselves, feeling that they are a necessity for the success of God’s great plan, the Lord causes them to be set aside. It is made evident that the Lord is not dependent upon them. The work does not stop because of their removal from it, but goes forward with greater power.” DA 436. “Those men who are not called of God are generally the very ones that are the most confident that they are so called and that their labors are very important.” EW 98. “Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness.” Test. Vol. 5, p. 81.
Will the work of God stop if these self-important men step out of it? Does God depend on men who are dust and yet exalt themselves above others? Paul writes, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” I Cor. 1:26-29.
A solemn warning is given us: “It is a dangerous age for any man who has talents which can be of value in the work of God, for Satan is constantly plying his temptation upon such a person, ever trying to fill him with pride and ambition; and when God would use him, in nine cases out of ten he becomes independent, self-sufficient, and feels capable of standing alone.” Counsels on Health, p. 367.
How many excellent talents are wasted because of human pride and independent spirit. God cannot use them and therefore they must be removed from their positions by the shaking which the Lord has promised to do among His people. What remains after the shaking? “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.” Zeph. 3:12. The little remnant that remains after the shaking has no talent, no means, and no human greatness but they trust in the name of the Lord. Therefore, we must cast our glory to dust and trust in the name of the Lord for He is mighty, He is able and nothing is too difficult for Him.
The sooner we learn this lesson of humility the sooner the Lord can use us to finish His work on earth. May the Lord help us in this.
AMEN