Henderson Hills Baptist Church

Commanded to be Humble

We are exploring this week God’s command that His children live humble lives. As we begin a new year, many of us set goals and strive for greater excellence in many and varied areas of our lives. What better time to look at character qualities that might be on God’s New Year’s goals for you! Don’t miss this opportunity to look with a fresh new perspective at your life and the attitude and actions you take on a daily basis. Would you consider yourself to be a humble person?

Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”. This is a command. We are told to start thinking like this. Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is actually giving us a glimpse into this rare quality that God expects and enables us to achieve. Humility!

How can we think like Jesus did? How can we have the same thoughts, attitudes, and goals? The mind that Paul is speaking of in this passage comes from Christ Jesus. It is His mind. Humility then comes from submitting ourselves to Christ. Let’s take a look at His humility.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

Jesus is God in every way, but He poured Himself out of heaven, He was born as a human baby boy, and He chose to die on the cross. His purpose in His death was to satisfy God’s wrath against sin. Now, that is a look at true humility. Jesus did not often describe Himself. But in Matthew 11:29 we see a rare glimpse at His own description of Himself. He said, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart (humble) and you will find rest for your souls”. Are you seeking today to find rest for your soul? Are you weary with the struggles, issues, demands of life? Learn from the Master of all life, the One who created everything out of nothing, the One who calms the fiercest storms. Learn from Him! What a precious promise this passage gives us. If we take His yoke, His goals, His pace, His ideals and learn from Him, we will find rest for our weary souls.

Jesus is the greatest example of humility the world will ever see. Yet, God commands us in Philippians to have the same mind that Jesus had. What an incredible command. What a worthwhile goal. Spend time today learning from Him. Follow His example and be humble.

2 Peter 3:18

Dennis

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