I believe I’ve come to my final written thoughts on humility.
It’s been a journey of conviction.
A study that will never resolve itself in total victory, but remain ongoing til I arrive in that heavenly place awaiting me.
With each step I’ve taken, the struggle to walk in humility rises before me, ever challenging, ever beckoning me her way…
…but, pride wants its way, and, to be honest, its way seems an easier road to travel and has a nice feel to it (hence, the struggle)!
The road map I’ve studied came to me via a man named Moses, of whom the Lord spoke these words:
Now the man Moses was very humble (the most humble man on the surface of the earth) – Numbers 12:3.
Moses was no Charlton Heston (TheTen Commandments, but, he was no Prince of Egypt (depicted by Dreamworks), either. Somewhere in between the two, we see the real man.
The Lord needed a man of Moses’ character to lead His people-sheep out from Egypt’s bondage.
Yet, even Moses needed breaking and re-molding to be useful.
Therein is THE KEY to humility.
It’s a law unto itself.
Brokenness leads to usefulness; because brokenness always results in humility.
(Can I just say, I really dislike this principle! I’d sure like for there to be another path.)
Being the word-nerd that I am, I found the following interesting (stay with me til the end, you might find it so, as well).
The word humble comes from the Latin word (approximately 13th century) humus (of the ground).
Don’t confuse it with hummus, the yummy Middle Eastern dip I thoroughly enjoy with Naan or veggies, and made of Tahini and chickpeas.
Humus is the decomposition of plant and animal waste that forms a rich organic soil comprised of crucial nutrients increasing production of fruit and flower...
Don’t let that definition get lost on you.
Strong leaders of great integrity, who are capable of finishing strong, without succumbing to pride (which always leads to a downfall) have gone through this process of decomposition.
They are brought low…
All the yucky stuff within the heart is sifted through, broken apart, left to decay and rot away.
In the end, what is left is “useful to the master and prepared for every good work (2 Tim 2:21).”
What is left is compost! Rich…crucial…resulting in fruit and flower…
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I love my veggie garden.
This year it has not thrived.
It has limped along, producing but little for all my effort.
A little too late, I recognized I didn’t compost well enough to make it through the season and finish with lush results.
Oh, I watered. I fed. I weeded. I managed. I just didn’t have good compost early-on in the gardening operation.
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In the wilderness of Midian, God worked decomposition in Moses that He (the Lord of the Universe) might have rich compost to plant humility in the heart of the man He needed as a fruitful leader of a multitude.
And, Moses, a man of humility (correction, a VERY humble man) grew out of the breaking of his soul.
He became nothing, and, yet, was content (Exodus 2:16a), as the Lord worked in him to become one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.
Yesterday, I watched a video of an announcement from a church in Texas that is compassionately and firmly walking her pastor through a season of “decomposition.”
From the elders in the church to the pastor, himself, I saw HUMILITY on display, and I applaud them all for “doing the work” it takes to help their leader walk a journey to heart-healing.
Few leaders today are willing to hold themselves to a higher standard, to live above reproach, no matter how small or insignificant a sin might seem (when comparing to the world not Scripture)…
Few leaders are willing to submit to an authority for discipline and development.
Few leaders are willing to subject themselves to such embarrassment, to be so honest and vulnerable…
As a result, we have scandal upon scandal within the church of Jesus Christ, instead of grace upon grace leading to faith upon faith, and a true ability to LEAD WELL!
Certainly, the CHURCH of Jesus needs those who can LEAD EFFECTIVELY to the glory of God, and are, thus, willing to be broken apart to do so.
Oh, that I might allow the Lord to break me as He needs…
reveal to me what is in my heart (all the unhealthy fruit of pride)…
bring total decomposition in order that humility can grow instead…see great fruit be produced…
and God be glorified!
I wonder if I can pray with an honest heart…do what it takes to remove pride from me and grow humility?
It’s a frightening prayer…
(Thankfully, I do know this: the Lord is a good and kind teacher; He is gentle when it comes to the breaking…)
