Three Checkpoints - Pt 3

The past days we have been looking at the checkpoints of life. We saw the first two were to do justice and to love kindness. Today we see that we are also to walk humbly. Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church at Colossae: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17 ESV). Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all. It was John Riskin who said, “I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them; that they could not do or be anything else than God made them.” Andrew Murray said, “The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others praised while he is forgotten because he has received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not Himself, and who sought not His own honor. Therefore, in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ he has put on the heart of compassion, kindness, meekness, longsuffering, and humility.” There is perhaps no other checkpoint more difficult to travel through. I find in my own life that it is often easier to think about justice and kindness than humility. The very act of being just and showing kindness toward others is a tool in the hands of our enemy to tempt us toward pride and arrogance. The bane of many pastors are those people who do something for the church and then have their feelings hurt when they have not been recognized or thanked sufficiently enough. Real humility does not expect or demand recognition. The following true story illustrates this truth so well. One Sunday morning after having preached a message about grace and forgiveness I found an envelope on my desk in the study. It was plain, though I noticed it had more than just paper in it. I really thought it might have been some little gift for me made by one of the preschoolers in our extended session. What a surprise when I opened it and found a diamond ring with a note attached. It was obviously from a woman and the gist of the note explained that the ring was a tenth year anniversary gift and the only jewelry that she wore other than her wedding band. She wanted to give it to the church so that it could be sold and the proceeds applied to a building project we had going on at the time. And, it was unsigned! The story is long and somewhat complicated. In the end, however, this simple gift challenged everyone to pay off existing debt and build a wonderful Activities Center for use in the community! Though I later learned who the donor was, I could never break her confidence and publicly recognize her gift. I am confident she will be recognized someday by our Lord in heaven! That’s what happens when we practice humility. M. R. De Haan has said, “Humility is something we should constantly pray for, yet never thank God that we have.” How’s your humility?