Last week I had a major dealing with God about my heart. I realized that, as a child, I gave into a demand for access to it. Essentially, in order to gain love, I compromised my value system. I had surrendered rather than remaining intact. And with my heart, went my choices, passion, and worship. I had been captured most of my life and unable to free myself from certain strongholds. I am not trying to be cryptic nor aloof; I just want to get into the meat of my message. We all have life stories of our hinderings, but I want to express my joy in a new seeing.
I have always thought humility was the highest position of the heart. I thought that when we are called to go into tough situations, meekness was the highest road. Today I am seeing that there is a higher Place.
Pride is an obvious low road: a wide path that any can easily travel. Pride is effortless, just let go and pride is as natural as breathing. Truly, just like breathing. I know this trail very well; it leads to destruction. So I have purposed to travel the opposite track of humility. I’ve bowed to acknowledge my frailty, weakness and innate sinfulness. I come to most situations meeked by my own sinful nature.
But let me tell you what I am seeing. There is a higher trail that is Him not me. Pride is complete self. Pride is exalting self higher than my known heights. But humility is also awareness of self. Humility bows to my dependence on a merciful God. It comes yielded . . . good, right, and Godly? Yes, humility is godly, but there is a greater, more excellent Way. This way is Christ.
There is a place that goes beyond forgiven and blood-washed. This place no longer factors self in the mix. Pride and humility each still give way to me as a factor. How about coming to the table only on His merits? How about leaving self-awareness altogether and standing in His finished work?
For immunity, Christ positions me “IN Him.” I know humble men who can have their humility jerked like a chain to make them cower. Then guilt comes up, which isn’t humility at all but fear. And I know proud men who jerk chains to manipulate and control. This is also fear! But the person who goes beyond self and into Christ, He is the one who reigns.
When I stand assured of Christ’s foundation – in Christ’s merit, and His established solution – then it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me.
As I am praying for myself, I pray for you Christ’s sure foundation. That Christ be formed in us, transforming us from self-aware (good or bad) to singularly focused on Him.
Jesus came and purchased with His very own life a position with the Father that I’m intended to enjoy. He became my sin, received my punishment and rent the veil that my own sinful nature merited. He did this all that I might be a child of His Father, citizen of His Kingdom, and bride of His affections.
I am choosing not to be involved, aware or entangled with my self but conscious of Him. This doesn’t alleviate me of responsibility, or give me license to do as I wish. It gives the Spirit the right to manifest the whole life of the Son through me. It provides Jesus with the liberty to do the Father’s will in me. It is freedom from my trappings and entrance into His glorious light.
For by that one offering He forever made perfect
those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:14
John . Thankyou for sharing your new see-ing . In my own experience i see humility as the fruit of accepting revelation not something that can be self generated . Example . In the gospel Paul says there is a right standing with God that is revealed . When the gift of my eternal right standing with God was revealed , i saw with the eyes of faith it had nothing to do with my performance , it was a blow to my pride , albeit a welcome blow , like Paul i was able to look at all my… Read more »
Roddy, excellent words with regard to humility coming from acceptance of revelation.
This post has been simmering all day, John — Freedom, is right! The more I thought on it, it was like: no striving; no tension (go to church/don’t go to church?; was that really God or just me wanting to do the ‘right’ thing?; buy something I need for work or save the money to give?), etc., etc. My life was beginning to seem like one big question mark everywhere I turned and it was getting a little overwhelming. Read and re-read Andrew Murray’s “Humility,” ’cause I had so little of it; now I don’t want it to be an… Read more »
Pauline, I too am in the process of re-reading Murray’s book Humility right now. Thanks for your comment about the whole train it is a good visual for me.
Yes, John, I know what you mean.
I suffer a great deal to come by True Humility. There is a level of self-bowed, self-made humility I have also trodden, which is not Christ Himself.
It is an order from Heavens, though: “Humble yourselves.”
But AFTER the “humbling” there must come His VERY PERSON of meekness. Otherwise, I am dead!! You are talking here about a NATURE which is not “me” (or my effort to be like Him, or to be humble.)
Thank you here!
“But the person who goes beyond self and into Christ, He is the one who reigns.”. My husband and I are studying Revelation with a group of young couples and last week were discussing Rev 5:10 about reigning. Before going to sleep last night I asked Holy Spirit to teach me what it means to reign. He answered me through your words. Thank
you Jesus for using John to reveal this to me.
YES!!!!
Thank you for your prayer, John…sounds like a brand new start–needy for Him in that way. In some way, it kind of goes along with Martha’s devotional this morning.