Humble Yourself

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." James 4:10

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" I Peter 5:6

Notice in each of these verses, the commonality: Humility of oneself. I am to actively take part in humbling myself. It is not something that is done to or for me. I am to do it myself. I am to humble myself. What does that mean? It means that each compliment is to be graciously accepted and then put into context. It means that we make a conscious effort to remind ourselves that while we might be technically advanced, we also would not be so without the Lord's help. We choose not to think more highly about ourselves than another.

Musicians generally have a difficulty with this area, and it is somewhat understandable. Yet, we are commanded to do this as Christians. I like the way David Guzik puts this:

"Humility is demonstrated by submission. It is the ability to cheerfully put away our own agenda for God’s, even if God’s agenda is expressed through another person."

Note one final quote from Matthew Henry:

"Humility is the great preserver of peace and order in all Christian churches and societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them, and the cause of most dissensions and breaches in the church."

So how can we be confident in who we are, proud of what we can do, and yet still maintain a level of humility? By serving others, by submitting to authority with sincere joy, and by thinking of others more highly than ourselves!

Blessings,
Frank