Dear Friends,
Last week, I wrote to you about living a life worthy of the gospel. That is how the Apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians.
To live a life worthy of the gospel requires a mindset shift. The Bible tells us that we are to have in each one of us the same attitude that Jesus had when He came to seek and save us. An mindset of humility.
For the sake of His mission, Jesus willingly set out of reach, for a time, the glory, the honor and the prerogatives of deity. He set aside His right to comfort and glory because of His commitment to a greater mission.
Rescuing us was more important to Him than His own comfort or His rights.
To live gospel worthy lives we have to be ready to let go of whatever honor or status or rights to which we think we are entitled. We have to realize there is something more important at stake in our world than our comfort, our status or anything we think we might deserve.
Jesus willingly chose to become the servant of all. He was fully committed to caring for our needs at His own expense.
Let me outline for you seven principles that I hope will help you see more clearly what humility is and why it is so important.
1. Humility doesn’t come naturally. Selfishness and looking out for your own interests is what comes naturally.
2. Humility doesn’t mean you think other people are better than you. Humility means that you see the needs of others as a higher priority than your own needs.
3. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.
4. Real love is impossible without humility. Jesus said it this way – greater love has no man than this, that He lays down his life for his friends.
5. The practice of genuine humility in all human relationships would cure about 95% of the conflicts that occur between people. “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 own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3–4).
6. Putting the needs of others ahead of your own needs is different than putting the wants of others ahead of your own. Being humble doesn’t mean you always let another person have his or her way. It means you ask God to give you the wisdom to know someone else’s real needs, and you seek to serve them.
7. We cultivate humility in our own lives by spending time considering and meditating on the life of Jesus. Specifically, we ought to meditate regularly on how He humbled Himself for our sake. When we survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, all the vain things that charm us most dissolve. We sacrifice them to His blood.
Ligon Duncan, the Chancellor at the Reformed Theological Seminary says that humility is the key to a life of true joy. It’s a path he describes as “a God-centered, gospel-based, grace-enabled shifting of our attention away from ourselves and onto others.”
Is that your mindset? How would your life – and our world – be different if you were committed to a grace-enabled shifting of your attention away from yourself and onto others?
That is the mind of Christ. And it should be our mindset as well.
Here’s some great news that will absolutely put a smile on your face.
We rejoice right along with parents Grant and Zoe Hutsell (and grandparents Tom and Nancy Arnold) on the arrival Tuesday of Charlotte Zoe Hutsell. Grant tells me Charlotte and Zoe are both doing great!
This Saturday night is movie night for our Roots students. And next Saturday, everyone heads to Hot Springs for great day at Magic Springs Amusement Park. Here at the details:
This Sunday right after church, the NxtGen college and young adult group will get together for the second of three lunchtime gatherings to discuss the book Knowing God. If you have questions, look for Pastor Cole Perkins or Pat Howell.
Tuesday night July 30, we’re diving in, we’re going deep at our family pool and pizza party. Everyone’s invited!
Have you prayed yet about serving in Awana this year? We need you. The kids need you. And Laura White would love to hear from you. Send her an email at laurawhite811@gmail.com (mailto:laurawhite811@gmail.com) or text her at 501.517.5799.
How are we supposed to respond when the world around us is falling apart? According to the book of Revelation, one way we are to respond is by boldly and confidently telling others about the God who rescues and saves. As we’ll see on Sunday, the church may face opposition when we stand boldly for Jesus. But the gates of hell will not and cannot prevail against us.
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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