Pastor Nancy Mwangi
Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
What is humility?
It is the practice of meekness and obedience to God. Respect for self and others.
It means to be conscious of our weaknesses and inadequacies and quick to give credit to God and others for what we accomplish.
It is having the right attitude toward ourselves, God and others.
You are not quick to judge others because of their weaknesses but embrace them because you are also aware of your weaknesses.
We are dependent on God for our worth, purpose and productivity.
Humility means you understand you are nothing without God, everything you have is not because you are better than others but by God's grace and therefore you stay humble.
Paul says am what I am by the grace of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
One of God's primary requirements is Humility.
Paul encouraged the Philippians to be united with Christ. This means continually living with other believers in a way that reflects that Christ has made us all one in Him. And we can only do this through prayers, talking to our Father by lifting our hearts and minds to Him.
Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Humility helps us love and accept others despite their weaknesses and shortcomings without us feeling better than them. We can love and walk with them and help them become better.
Pride prevents or hinders us from bearing one another's burden and fulfilling the law of Christ. Instead of loving one another, we focus on their weaknesses and feel better at the expense of their failures.
Pride does not necessarily say"I am better than you are but pride simply says; I am more important than you are,so I deserve more attention and love than you do. But Biblical humility says am not more important than you are.
Galatians 6:3
If anyone thinks they are something when they are nothing, they deceive themselves.
Paul does not mean that some Christians are something, and others are nothing. Instead, Paul writes with the same idea behind Philippians 2:3-4: In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. In other words, with the right attitude.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others. If I esteem you above me, and you esteem me above you, great things happen; and we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on. Tutakuwa tunapendana na tunaheshimiana (We shall love and respect each other).
The opposite of humility is pride and arrogance. This is an exaggerated feeling of self-importance that gloats (dwells on one's own success or another’s misfortune) over one's perceived merit, superiority and accomplishment.
Sometimes, when pride comes in and you see someone is doing better than you do accusations come and hatred builds up. Na unaanza kusema;hiyo promotion haikuwa yake amepeana bribe (you start saying that the promotion was not his, he gave a bribe) and yet it's God's favour working in that person's life. Pride always leads to jealousy.
When a friend amekuwa proposed to,na wewe bado,unaanza kusema hata huyo msichana si mrembo kama mimi, I think I stand a better chance ( When a friend has been proposed to, and you start saying, "even that girl is not as beautiful as me, I think I stand a better chance").
Examples of people who were full of humility
Jesus
Philippians 2:
[5]In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
[6]Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7]rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8]And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! [9]Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.
Though Jesus was the son of God, and performed great miracles and wonders, He did not exalt Himself because He knew that the Father was the one who sent Him.
David
1 Samuel 24:10
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.
Although David was anointed and had even killed Goliath and led the armies to victories, he still honoured Saul who was failing miserably in his calling.
Humility is often seen in how you view others. pride comes in when you start comparing yours with others.
2 Corinthians 10:12
12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Pride comes in when we start comparing ourselves with others instead of comparing ourselves with Christ. If we compare ourselves with Christ, we will always be humbled because we will always be aware of our unrighteousness and worthlessness. But when you compare yourself with others, there is a probability you are doing better in one area than the other or maybe he or she has a weakness and that may make you feel better than him or her which is a lie. It is only Christ that makes us worthy. Material and worldly success has no eternal worth.
We need to humble ourselves by considering others better than ourselves.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
God is against the proud but lifts the humble.
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
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