What does it mean to be humble?

"......God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."


One of the things people find it hard to believe that Jesus was with His disciples. He showed true humbleness when He got up from the meal, stuck a wrag around His waist and proceeded to wash each of their feet. [John 13:4-5]

Can you imagine the reaction of the disciples. Here is the Son of God actually washing their feet. This was a job for the lowliest servant of the house to be doing. I wonder if Jesus was trying to tell the disciples something, what do you think? It wasn't very long before this that they were all asking Jesus who would sit on His right and left hands.

Aren't we all in our own human way trying to be the most important. Aren't we all wanting to be able to say I'm better than you are? You should listen to me because I know more than you. I went to University or Theological college while you didn't get past secondary school. I own a nice big house, a modern expensive boat or car, but you don't. Or I go to a church with 2000 members while you only go to church that has 50 members so we are closer to God. Now I don't say that this applies to all but I, based on my own humanistic feelings, I can be quite sure that it applies to some. We are a very much so a people that applies these things to our lives. But Jesus, the Son of God, Prince of Princes, King of Kings, shows us an example that to God we are all important. It is an example that shows us that we are all to be servants to one another.

O.K. lets find out the dictionary definition for humble:

concious of one's failings, unpretentious, deferential or servile, meek, modest,
unassuming.

Jesus had no qualms in being a servant. Just like Jesus we have to have a humble heart. He certainly didn't let such a thing as pride get in His way. Jesus had no problem with being any of he above things. One of our great failings is our pride. Now here is our Lord & Saviour portraying these characteristics with not so much as a backfire on my bike.At times we don't understand that being proud is just not he way we should be and that we should care for others' situation before we do our own. More often than not we do it the other way around. Part, and only part of it is not our fault, as society has taught just this point, tha we should have every-thing we want. Satan loves it when we fall for this trap of his, but does not like it when we change with the help of Jesus and start to serve others in His strength, especially those who are down and outs.. Don't forget when we turn to Jesus we die to our old selves and are born anew. We have Jesus in us so what is so hard to try to be more like Jesus everyday of your life. If He can look past His pride why can't we. How many are here out there that need help that we could assist if we didn't think it below us, or that they smell and are dirty or might hurt us in some way.

Now let's see what the dictionary definition for to serve is:

to render or be of service to a person, aid, assist, attend to, be in the service of,
be of assistance, minister to, oblige.

Let's see, it is my opinion that that is just what Jesus wants us to be like.When I look at all these points above I see that thry all apply to what Jesus did at Calvary and by the Resurrection. He certainly rendered assistance [service], He was certainly in the service of His Father, He ministered to you and me by His actions, He obliged us by dying for us. He did it all and He did it willingly.
Don't forget He was the Son of God. The reality is that He really could have not done it but he obeyed His Father to fulfill the Scriptures, and to form the bridge between us and the Father. How much more of a servant can you be than that. The Bible tell us tha no greater love has man than to lay down his life for another.

So what have we found so far.

1. Jesus was our example of why we should be humble.

2. Jesus was our prime example of service.

And that when these 2 principles are in you heart and you allow Jesus total control He will do mighty things through and there will be souls won for the Kingdom. If we allow our pride to control us, all we will be doing is allowing the world to take back what does not belong to it.