By Rev Tan Eng Boo
When I was in Israel, I saw this sign which says: “Danger Mines!” along the way up the Golan Heights as well as in the Southern part of Israel, bordering Jordan. It reminds me of the need to warn my fellow believers of a different type of danger, PRIDE.
“James tells us, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Paul exhorts the church to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). Conceit and selfish ambition are destroyers of godliness; they spread like wildfire through a church or ministry, burning and destroying souls in their path of savagery. Pride hurts the church. Humility lifts it up to the glory of God.
Walking in humility requires courage. Courage to embrace when we fail, courage to accept when we are wrong, and courage to make choices that have little or no short-term payoff yet are best for oneself and the communities we serve. To grow in our understanding of humility, we must attune ourselves to the wisdom of Scripture and the pastoral voices of history. In pursuing humility, we find strength and confidence to continue in the path of faithful ministry service and care.” (Coleman M. Ford, Shawn J. Wilhite)
Humility is indispensable to the Christian life. Jesus Christ set the example for us to follow.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7).
Jesus “emptied Himself” (v.7). The King James Version says He “made himself of no reputation.” I once conducted a marriage rehearsal when the young groom asked that he be addressed as “doctor” throughout the solemnisation. (You see, he had just graduated from his medical studies and was a houseman). I am glad that no Gracian has ever asked me to do this. Be humble always. You are what you are by the grace of God. Never be proud!
Anyway, as requested, I proceeded to address him as “doctor” throughout the rehearsal and solemnisation sessions.
The apostle Paul also said that Jesus took “the form of a servant” (v.7). Servanthood should always be part of your Christian life, no matter who you are. Even if you are a prominent person in society, a man or woman of status, or a high-ranking officer in the uniformed groups etc., when you are in church, you must remember that you are only a servant of Jesus Christ. Even in your position or vocation in society, behave as a servant of Jesus Christ. Walking in humility requires courage.
We are always reminded from Scripture not to be proud. Pride has no place in your life if you are a child of God. James in his book states that,
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (James 4:6).
Elsewhere in Scripture, the apostle Peter warns us that,
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”” (1 Peter 5:5).
The proud person will always be opposed by God. I also need to remind you not to be proud of your knowledge of the Scriptures. The more you know, the more you ought to live out the Word of God. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). It is always sad and discouraging to see believers taking pride in their knowledge of Scripture but failing to live it out. They can memorise Scriptures perfectly. They can quote verses by heart. They know exactly where to locate a verse or passage. They know bible stories, too. This is commendable, but James also tells us to live it out! May God help us to do so.
How can we learn to be a humble person?
1. Follow the example of Jesus Christ. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). If you are a disciple of Jesus, you must have the same attitude of humility as Him. Let us remember the words and example of Christ, every time you face the onslaught of pride. Look to the Lord’s example. The Psalmist says: “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (Psalm 105:4).
2. We must remember that pride was the first sin in the universe as recorded in scripture. Lucifer was cast out of heaven because of pride (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-18), and what chaos he has wrought in the world since then. Pride is a universal problem. It is destructive. It breaks up the church. It causes division in the church. It breaks up fellow believers’ relationships with each other. This is frightening. But if we have a right view of God and His Word, this would have a profound effect on our relationships with each other.
I have seen the B-P Church go through the KJV Only issue which has caused much heartache within the denomination. When pride is not restrained, it spreads like wildfire that will consume anything that stands in its way.
Humility is an awesome tool of God to bless the church and cause His people to interact with one another in love and unity. Once we are humble, we will see ourselves as servants of Jesus Christ and serve the Lord together.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The Lord requires you to walk humbly with your God. Are you doing what He requires?
Prayer: Lord, help us to hear You clearly, for we do not want to walk by pride, we want to walk with You.
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