1998-03-23 - Humility

Colossians 2:18-23 Let no one defraud you of your prize.

There is a new all woman pop group from Britain. No it is not the Spice Girls, but rather a group called All Saints. But don't be fooled by the name, these girls are saints in name only and this is not a "Christian" band. I was reading a review that said their album had, "little worth remembering" on it. However, I was interested in how they marketed themselves. They want to world to know three things about them; 1. They can sing. This is good, since they are a musical group, 2. They can write. This is good also, for the same reason, 3. They have Talent! Again, lets hope.

At first I was amazed at the humility of their claims. They are not really saying anything more than what should, at a minimum, be expected. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that this is not a moment of humility for the band, but this is probably all they have to offer. And if that is all they can offer to convince me to purchase their album, I'm not buying it.

Christians are exhorted in Scripture to be humble. We are to put on humility (Col. 3:12), be clothed with humility (1 Peter 5:5), and to walk with humility (Eph. 4:1, 2). Christ was fond of chastising the Pharisees for their false humility, a humility that was simply for show.

About 400 years ago an English preacher named Henry Smith preached a sermon on the humility of the Apostle Paul. In one paragraph of that sermon he tells his listeners 18 times not to follow the fashion of the world, but rather to live a humble and quiet life. He points out that it is not so much the things we do, or the great sacrifices that we make, but rather the attitude of our hearts before God that is important. Even someone who never makes "a great show", of some special service to God, still may live as one who God is very pleased with. It is the attitude of humble reliance and trust that God often seems to set His pleasure upon in His Word.

"Better is the sin which humbles me, than that duty which makes me proud." Thomas Watson

"Humility is to the Christian what ballast is to the ship; it keeps him in his proper position and regulates all his thoughts and feelings." Archibald Alexander

Soli Deo Gloria,
Tim