Humbleness

What is true humility?

The focus must be on God and not on ourselves; remember that all the gifts come from Him, including faith.

Paul stated in his letter to the Ephesians. “Ephesians 2:8-9; (ESV)”,“ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Many may interpret this differently, but it is not merely a justification by faith. No one can claim but God, who gave it. This attitude eliminates pride. How can I boast when we are just an enabler, God with His gift of grace enabling us to do?

As responsible Christians, our attitude toward our labor comes not from ourselves but from God, who grants it. We were only using the gifts and faith that God had given us. Using our gifts pleases God.

Attitude also prevents us from comparing ourselves with others who may be more “successful” than we are, and no matter how hard we try to be like them, we always fail, which leads us to ask ourselves, “Why?” God gives us the Spirit of contentment, not competition and envy. This is a standard stumbling block for others.

We see other people prefer to go with a more prominent congregation, with highly educated seminarians, consistent church attendees, messages that come very easy to grasp and are not confusing, and no talking behind our back; we already know a big difference right there.

We should not feel sad that they are doing good but not better than us, for we are serving the same God.

Patience and a gentle attitude towards others that look down on us are the answer and have proven to be effective in keeping the Body divided. True humility comes into play by putting ourselves as less significant than them; we will not compete to be better.

Paul said; “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his interests but also to the interests of others.”(Philippians 2:3-4)

We should rejoice and be glad if the church is preaching the gospel and teaching without compromising God’s Word. God may show us through signs, visions, and dreams what adjustment our ministry needs to serve Him successfully. We worship the same God, the same Body, and remain still after all the hard work (if you already have done this); seeing no harvest could leave our ministry void and empty. Then, we can practice caring and sharing and serve God as commanded.

Humble people are more approachable and teachable, and a humble teacher is more likable. Children are naturally humble; that is why Jesus said we must be like children, not childish thinking but childishness. The more humble we are, the more attention we will gain, which is the beginning of learning.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:1-4 “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And calling him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Failures of the ministry:

• 1st reason why ministry failed is denying others a chance to use their gifts,
• 2nd lack of trust in other leaders,
• 3rd appointed, not anointed, to lead the ministry,
• 4th praying one mile long, remember that millions are praying too, and give them a chance to be heard,
• 5th repetitive request: Do not use God’s time for the things he has already heard. (Lack of faith),
• 6th failing to recognize the enemy of faith,
• 7th having an unforgiving heart,
• 8th lack of knowledge of the word of God,
• 9th dividing the word of truth,
• 10th transparency on everything.

True confession will lead to true conversion.

If we see a fruit not getting ripe, it could be a slow-learning person or confused about the teachings. If there is ambiguity among the audience, encourage them to ask questions. We may consider the quality process and practices according to the Word of God. Remember that we are in the same boat; no competition, and this is for Christ and His glory, not our glory. If we failed, we failed Him more. We should make sure that we are correctly using the gifts that God has given to us. Then we can rejoice in someone else’s more significant gifts.

Paul says that we all have different functions in the Body. He says that “we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” and that we are to exercise these gifts “according to the proportion of [our] faith.” Paul talked about various amounts of faith that God has given to those who believe in exercising various spiritual gifts.

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Paul says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. There are various effects, but the same God works all things in all persons.”The talking point here is whether we have the gifts and faith to start and maintain a ministry, large or small groups, and attitude significantly influences achieving success. We must remember that everything we have and things to have come from God, according to His sovereign purpose (1 Cor. 12:11).

To develop true humility, keep the focus on God’s grace always. It works lower than our knees and avoids working higher than our heads. Evaluate ourselves and wipe out any crumbs of unforgiveness in our hearts and polish our minds with wipes of righteousness. And proclaim your readiness to serve Him; clean, pure, bold, and worth the trust. Remember that all that we have, all that we share, including faith, hope, and love, comes from God and must be exercised without waiting for returns.

Thank you, God, for the Spirit of Life and for choosing me to be a partaker of your divine nature; to Jesus our savior and redeemer, the 2nd Adam that gives light and new life, and to the Holy Spirit our everyday companion. I pray. Source: ESV, NLT, NRSV, Insight added.