Recommended Book by CJ Mahaney

Moral vs. Christ-like Humility   Posted 3.04.09

Have you ever become defensive when someone criticized you or did something unjust. Has your mind ever become preoccupied with the injustice done to you? Have you ever put someone in their place because you wanted to show them you were right? I've had many of these experiences and have never felt good, whether or not I was able to persuade someone to my view. In fact, sometimes I just cry out to the Lord and ask him why I feel so bad when I am obviously right in my stance. If you have ever been there, it is not good to live in that place. 

Several weeks ago, the Lord impressed upon my heart to ponder Philippians chapter 2:6-7. There, we are informed that Christ made himself nothing. Now it is easy to get distracted here and become consumed with theological debates pertaining to the nature of Christ. But these debates lesson what the author is trying to communicate. The fact is that Christ came to earth to serve others and be obedient to God to the point of death on the cross. He did not consider himself better than anyone. He did not go around crying "woe is me because of the injustice!" No, Jesus lived the kind of life that did not get off track and sidelined by personality conflicts. He knew his calling and would let no one hinder it, despite how horribly he was treated.

His humility was different than mine. I have the kind of humility that is moral and self-aware of my being. I have the humility that once it is questioned; it can easily become defensive. The reality is that many of us have a moral humility as opposed to the kind of humility Christ displayed. The difference is that I am often "trapped" in my humility, while Christ was free to minister.  In the end, Jesus demonstrates the climax of his humility when he stares down from the cross, bloodied, nailed, stabbed, mocked, spit on, and hearing the roar of the crowd as they shook their fists and said "Crucify him!" He does not yell at them for the injustice, he does not curse them, he does not set out to prove his innocence. Instead he looks at them with compassion, and then looks to the Father, and says, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

So how was Jesus able to reach a level that we cannot comprehend? He did so because he considered himself nothing. If you want the kind of freedom Christ experienced that will be an important behavior to model. We must learn to consider ourselves nothing. If we can develop that mindset then we will be free to serve God and not get sidetracked. I don't know about you; but that is where I want to live. Ultimately, like John the Baptist once proclaimed, "I want to decrease so he can increase." May we both strive to transform our humility to that of Christ. Blessings my friend.