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| Is anyone else fed up and disgusted with the climate of haughtiness and arrogance that is pervasive in our society? Maybe it is because it is an election year, but I am tired of the political gamesmanship, boasting, posturing, and name-calling that seem to make up the bulk of electioneering these days. Of course, politicians would not operate this way if it were not effective in influencing our votes so we must own up to being complicit in this orientation! The Olympic games call our attention to this issue as well, in two ways. There are always athletes (often American) whose supercilious self-importance leads them to use the world stage to thump their chests and to strut about like so many peacocks showing off their feathers. They are not honoring their country; they are puffing up their own egos and disrespecting the other competitors, and in the process they bring dishonor to their country. This puts in sharp relief the many other athletes who defer praise by citing all of the people who contributed to their success, without whose support they could not have even competed. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for the popularity of the Olympics: there are consistent examples of great and humble athletes. They are a fan’s delight! I am always disheartened when Christians display hauteur, presenting themselves as better or superior to others. What I object to is not strong confidence that one is right—faith requires strong belief that leads to action. But such faith does not require disdain and disrespect for others who disagree, nor does it require one to take personal credit for knowing God. Such an attitude for Christians, in particular, mocks Christianity because it is a contradiction of what we believe. We are who we are only by God’s grace and His wondrous forgiveness. No one earns the right to be a child of God. James wrote, “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God.” But let me be clear, humility is not an “aw shucks” shtick or mere self-effacing posturing. Neither is humility demonstrated by a thin veneer of God talk. By humility I am referring to a deep understanding of our own limitations and neediness; to knowing our indebtedness to others and to factors in our successes that are completely outside of our control. This is a way of looking at the world, at life, and at ourselves that understands our own smallness. C.S. Lewis described genuine humility this way: “Humility is not thinking lowly of ourselves. It is not thinking of ourselves at all.” Jesus is the ultimate example of an unpretentious, humble person. To fully grasp His humility you must first understand that He claimed to be the eternal Son of God. When He interacted with common folks, even outcasts like the woman caught in adultery (John 8) or the Samaritan woman (John 4), He was gracious and unassuming even while being truthful and direct in dealing with their sin. But when interacting with the haughty religious elite he refused to play their game by providing proof on demand for His claims. His message was about Himself and the kingdom of God, but His life and death were about others, that they might find that kingdom of God. The heart of humility is an other-orientation rather than a self-orientation. This is precisely what the New Testament teaches, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Paul then admonishes us to let Jesus serve as our model of such humble, selfless love. Christ followers are supposed to do precisely that, follow Jesus. It is disturbing that much in our society encourages and facilitates just the opposite: arrogant superciliousness—much to our detriment and to our shame. But lest we forget, our society is made up of you and me. If we are going to change our society then it will require that we begin with ourselves. |
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by Dr. J. Patrick Curtis, Senior Pastor |
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