From the Pastor's Desk column for 3/30/08

The idea of humility is often foreign to today's society. I read a story of a pastor in Chicago, who related to an elder friend his struggles with humility. The friend told him to make a sandwich board with the Gospel message on it and to wear it for an entire day everywhere he walked through the downtown and other areas of Chicago. The pastor took the advice to heart and did just that. At the end of the day as he reflected on the humiliation that he had indeed experienced another thought came into his mind. He found himself patting himself on the back mentally as the only "person in Chicago who would be willing to do something like that." Or there was an old joke about humility, they gave me a humble button as a token of my achievement. But they took it back because I wore it. The teaching of Scripture regarding humility is one of the most challenging. It leaves no doubt about a calling of service that Jesus exemplified in his life. There is no doubt about the fact that the Bible calls Christians to a level of commitment in humility and service that can make many downright uncomfortable. Look at the passages in Philippians 2 and John 13 for a couple of radical examples of humility and service. What does this mean in practical terms? It isn't about me. Selfishness is a path that leads nowhere. Jesus Christ displayed a life that was selfless and powerful. We must equip ourselves with this same attitude.
On the opposite side we find pride. Most of us are very acquainted with pride, even if we don't realize or admit it. If we were to do an honest assessment of our lives we would be the first to admit that selfishness is much more abundant that selflessness. In fact, pride is the number one obstacle to a relationship with God. Many people understand the truth of God's Word and the essence of what He desires from them, but they are unwilling to humble themselves to His will and His way. The first sin in history was the sin of pride, when Satan attempted to exalt himself above God. And it continues to be at the root of most if not all of our problems in this life. Take a self-test of your life and see which is the dominant factor. Take an inventory of your spiritual life and see whose will wins out more often. You have a choice to make in life. Will you choose your own way or will you choose God's way?
If you have comments or questions, you can email me at FBCLangdon@gmail.com.