Humble Pie: A Title-Less Church — Tuesday
Ephesians 2:9
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (NLT)
Humility isn’t what it used to be. We can find corporate leaders abusing humility for the ultimate goal of boosting their bottom line. There are social media influencers putting humility to work for themselves in order to win favor, gain likes, get that thumbs up, increase subscriptions, and monetize their brand. In moments of clarity, we might even realize that our kind, humble, servant-hearted approach to life is sometimes less about others. We might realize that our motives get mixed up sometimes—that we are actually seeking our own sense of peace, guarding our sense of self-worth, or growing our assurance that we’ve got people around us to meet our needs for connection, acceptance, security, or significance.
At times, humility is twisted into a tool to get attention or recognition—neither of which are bad things in themselves. But when they become our ultimate goal… and especially when they’re wrapped in the guise of false humility… they can be toxic. Not only does this harm our own hearts, but it can also push others down at the expense of our attempts to feel good about ourselves or feel like we’re safely at home in this world. Like we somehow belong here. Which Jesus tells us, “No way… this isn’t it… you were made for far more.”
God’s Word tells us the last will be first, and the smallest becomes the greatest. But Christ-followers don’t always act as though we believe this to be true. Pastor F.B. Meyer shared long ago how he initially believed God’s gifts were on shelves, and the taller you grew, the more you could reach. His spiritual striving, however, taught him it is not this way at all. Instead, he found that if God’s gifts are in fact on shelves, you actually find the best of them when you stoop down to the lowest shelves. I think we’ll find that it’s the same today.
Tuesday’s Reflection
Is this why Jesus said we must become like little children? Is this why Jesus humbled Himself in order to be lifted up? Let’s seek to imitate His example and trust Him to take care of all the rest.
