Humility
 

I'm reading a book by Andrew Murray called Humility. Here's an excerpt:

"It is easy to think that we humble ourselves before God, but our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real. To be genuine, humility must abide in us and become our very nature. True humility is to be made of no reputation--as did Christ. In God's presence, humility is not a posture we assume for a time---when we think of Him or pray to Him---but the very spirit of our life. It will manifest itself in all our bearing toward others. A lesson of deepest importance is that the only humility that is really ours is not the kind we try to show before God in prayer, but the kind we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The seemingly insignificant acts of daily life are the tests of eternity, because they prove what spirit possesses us. It is in our most unguarded moments that we truly show who we are and what we are made of." pg 53

Phi 2:2 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Phi 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Phi 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Phi 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This is excellent as well as timely...good post and thread starter, miz...:)

Barb, you're better than me.

Read the book, it's the very best thing I've ever read on being truly Christlike. It points out our failings and flaws with a bright spotlight on the soul in a good, challenging way. I've marked this book up so much that I can't lend it out, so I'm going to buy a couple of copies to pass around at my church.

You must have read the book! :winkgrin

Here's one more excerpt from the chapter I'm reading now: humility in daily life

"The humble person seeks at all times to live up to the rule : Honor one another above yourselves; serve one another; consider others better than yourselves; submit to one another." The question is often asked how we can count others better than ourselves when we see that they are far below us in wisdom, in holiness, in natural gifts, or in grace received. The question proves at once how little we understand what real lowliness of mind is. True humility comes when before God we see ourselves as nothing, have put aside self, and let God be all. The soul that has done this, and can say, "I have lost myself in finding you," no longer compares itself with others. It has given up forever any thought of self in God's presence; it meets its fellowmen as one who is nothing and seeks nothing for itself; who is a servant of God and for His sake is a servant of all. A faithful servant maybe wiser than his master and yet retain the true spirit and posture of a servant. The humble man looks upon every child of God, the most weak and unworthy, and honors him and prefers him as a son of the King. The spirit of Him who washed the disciples' feet makes it a joy to be the least, to be servants of one another.

The humble person feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can hear others praised and himself forgotten, because in God's presence he has learned to say with Paul, " I am nothing." He has received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not hmself and sought not His own honor as the spirit of his life."

Wow....I sit in utter conviction at my failings in preferring my brethren.......

Very good stuff. A lot of the "bickering and fighting" amongst ourselves would turn to "reasoning together" if we'd demonstrate a lot more humility...........

Excellent stuff. When you start asking Jesus to clean house and that you want Him to increase and yourself to decrease, it can be painful.

As John the Baptist said "He must increase, and I must decrease". You'd think we get that, knowing would should have no confidence in the flesh and all our confidence in Jesus.

It's a very serious issue when you consider that the Bible says in James 4:6, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

It's serious enough when we receive opposition from man, but to have God oppose us because of our arrogant attitude is a major obstacle to our progress. It appears that having the "mind of Christ" that causes us to humble ourselves before God and one another is a condition for receiving more grace. A fall from grace is closely linked with the arrogance of one who feels proud of his own personal performance.