Living in Christ’s Humility

11.14.22

“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 the 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.” (Philipians 2:1-4)

This is a tall order for those of us raised in this individualistic, materialistic nation. How do we even start? First, we have to become united with Christ through surrendering our lives to Him so that He can lead us to our true nature, our true purpose in life. This surrender takes us beyond mere belief in Him to a life directed by God. And in that life, the main task of our lives is to give up anything that stands between us and God. This, of course, is a lifelong journey. Bit by bit, experiencing the grief and pain we have lived through but not fully, we are led to give up all these impediments and the cultural overlays and our poor self-images to God. And as we go down this path, we begin to feel the breeze on our skin, the new freedom we have attained through our prayer and God’s healing. And then we can experience, as I did, a long journey that teaches us how to love all other people.

Every human being on this earth, all 7+ billion people, were created in God’s image and that is the truth that we are to live. If we are to live in the Spirit of God, then our hearts and minds and souls have to open to loving and forgiving all these different sorts of people, no matter their skin color, education, income, profession, work, or place of origin. We are all God’s people and when we begin to live that truth, we live with a lightness of heart and mind that no longer holds on to the surface differences in people.

Humility means that we no longer try to elevate ourselves above others. We are clear of all prejudice, and see with new eyes, a vision that was created by God, by giving ourselves over totally to His love and care. For God is taking care of us, so we no longer have to be concerned about where our food is coming from or our clothing or any other part of our lives [Matthew 6:28-34]. He has it all—our families, our work, our leisure, and primarily our purpose which He will in time reveal to us. What a wonder that is—no worries for us, so we are free to take care of all that He puts in our path. Remember that Jesus said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” [Matthew 11:28-30]. Over time as we give up more and more of ourselves to God for healing, He sees that each of us fulfills our purpose and experiences the peace, joy and love that He offers us.

And what does humility look like in a human being? It is someone who has been healed of much that keeps us in the world, someone who can love as God loves without prejudice or judgment and with forgiveness. It is someone who feels the fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23] growing in him or her. Think of those attributes: to live at peace, in joy and love, to be patient, kind, good and gentle, to be faithful and humble—that describes Jesus in this world and us as we are transformed by God to be His love and forgiveness, His mercy and justice for all.

Questions to ponder over the week: Am I aware of God’s healing within me? of an increasing sense of lightness in my being? Am I turning my pain and my brokenness over to the Lord for healing? Can I admit to myself all that needs healing in me? Am I looking forward to the blessedness of God’s healing?

Blessing for the week:  May we be the people of God who are advancing on this healing journey as we follow Jesus to the life He desires for us. May we lift up the things in us that need healing as He calls us our attention to them. May we be humble as we are called to be.

See more blog posts and offerings at patsaidadams.com.

Check out my other website, deepeningyourfaith.com for information about spiritual practices and more writings about the spiritual life. New posts every month. 9.19.22’s is entitled “Digging Deeper into Our Resistance.” Sign up to receive these as monthly emails at the website.

Two Announcements

1. I am giving away a 10-week journaling guide to Jesus’s Two Great Commandments. If you are interested, email me at patsadams@gmail.com and I will send it to you, free of charge.
2. My latest books, “Called to Help the Poor and Needy” and “A Study Guide to the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount” are now in bookstores and on line. The first is about the more than 2,000 verses in the Bible which detail God’s instructions for caring for those in need. The second is a journaling/pondering guide to Jesus’s most complete sermon.