Greetings.

Recently I have been reading and studying the topic of humility as a key to revival. The more I read and reflect the more I become aware of how unnatural humility is. Pride is pervasive and deceptive being our natural fallen condition. Growing more Christlike is ONLY possible through the daily ongoing transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Humility as lived out by Jesus is an integrating feature of his character and the fruit of the Spirit. Humility as Jesus modelled it was nothing to do with putting self down, lacking confidence or boldness, avoiding attention or forgoing opportunities. Those behaviours are often simply an inverted pride still focussed on self, operating from self-consciousness, viewing self relative to others. Jesus in his humility was bold, confident, courageous, secure, comfortable with attention as much as with solitude and proactive rather than passive. His behaviour flowed from his God-consciousness, his sense of identity that primarily viewed himself relative to the Father not others. In its essence, Jesus humility revolved around his view of The Father and submission to His agenda, commitment to do the Father's will.

John Newton wrote: "I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master." !Paul wrote in Philippians 2 that Jesus is our model of behaviour in relation to God and others and it is all about humility. I think our English translations let us down here as the NIV puts it "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but!in humility consider others better than yourselves." (v3) The use of the word "better" seems to make it about a!comparison!of self to others. If that were the case then clearly Jesus was and always will be!better!than others! The point of true humility as Jesus modelled it is not about who is better or more gifted or what- ever but how we value each other as we submit to God. Jesus valued others ahead of himself. He valued them above himself as he demonstrated the love of God. He "...took the very nature of a servant..." (2:7) and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!" (2:8).

Humility is not thinking little of self, but thinking rightly of God and forgetting self, submitting as His servant, acting upon his will, valuing people as Jesus does. Like Isaiah in Is 6, once we actually come to see God for who he really is, high and lifted up, exalted in his majesty and holiness, we come to recognise our own sinfulness and need for forgiveness. Truly seeing ourselves in relation to God moves us from Pharisaical pride to humble confession, "Lord have mercy on me a sinner!" (Luke 18:13). As we confess our sin God cleanses us as he did through a live coal from the Altar to the prophet's lips.

Then see the response of humility when the voice of the Lord is heard, "Whom shall I send...?" It's not humility to dwell in a sense of inadequacy and say "Here am I Lord, but you better send someone else better than me". Such a response still thinks its all about them; self, rather than God, is still at the centre. The truly humble respond, "Here am I Lord, send me!" (Is 6:8)

May the Lord grow us in Christlike humility as we boldly follow Him.

Blessings! 

Bill