It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. ~ St. Augustine.
How do you develop Christ-Centered Relationships that are deep and significant? Like any great dish from your favorite restaurant, right ingredients are essential to bring the most flavor. But mix the ingredient in wrong proportions and you get a mess. Put in too much salt and the dish is inedible. Too little salt and you will think twice about coming to pay money for unseasoned food.
Pride is one of those ingredients that destroys relationships quicker than anything I know. Bible says in 1 Peter 5:5 | “...all of you, serve each other in humility, for ‘God opposes the proud but favors the humble’ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” [NLT] NIV says to ‘clothes yourself with humility’. Make sure you put humility and don’t take it off. When you go to your growth group, when you are with a group of friends, when you are with your family, put on your favorite clothes called humility if you want a deep and down to earth, life changing relationship. It’s what makes relationships work and thrive.
Paul writes in Romans 12:16 | “Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all.”
Friends, we are all ordinary people being used by an extraordinary God in an amazing way. We’re all ordinary people but by the grace of God, we’re able to serve Him and other in a wonderful way!
What exactly is humility? It’s about being honest about my weaknesses. We all have them. I don’t know everything. I don’t understand everything so let’s be honest about it. Humility is being willing to admit it when I’ve made a mistake because we all do. Humility enables us to say the two most difficult words, “Forgive me”... three most difficult words, “I was wrong”... four most difficult words, “I need your help”...
James says that God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble. Don’t you want God’s grace in your life? I do! Bible says that it comes to the humble! It comes when I recognize I need God’s grace in my life all the time!
Now, in a growth group in relation to other people, who do you clothe yourself with humility?
- Accept Weaknesses of Others.
Are you perfect? I am not. Let’s stop acting like we are. Don’t expect people to be perfect. Let’s accept the fact that everyone has weaknesses like everyone else. Accepting each others weaknesses expresses humility towards them.
- Give Credit to Others
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:3-5
Romans 12:10 | “Love each other with genuine affection, and TAKE DELIGHT in HONORING each other.”
Put the spotlight on other people. Everyone wants to feel like their life matters; everyone wants to be noticed. And when we put the spotlight on others instead of always putting it on us, you are giving room for humility to work its way to a deep relationship. Notice it says to honor EACH OTHER. If everyone is putting spotlight on each other, no one will go unnoticed at Disciple Church.
Some of you may be coming to our church and you are thinking, man no one notices me. My growth group leaders doesn’t notice and my pastor doesn’t notice what God is doing through my life! Two things: 1. You have people in your growth group that you need to put the spotlight on. Help them to see the affirmation, the encouragement that you have. But for those who are feeling unnoticed today, remember God notices you. God knows what you’re going through. Humility realizes that even if the spotlight isn’t on me, I can take joy in putting it on someone else. The spotlight on this earth doesn’t matter that much anyway. We are going to live in the light of His presence forever! That’s what the joy is. That’s what we are looking forward to!
- Realize Your own Weaknesses
Romans 12:3 | ... Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring your selves by the faith God has given us.
We all have weaknesses - bunch of weaknesses, more than we want to admit. How do you demonstrate humility? You do it by humbly accepting suggestions and corrections from others.
“He who listens to a life giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.” This one’s tough. I know. It’s a great idea theoretically. “I’d love to receive corrections,” we say... until we get it! Then it gets a bit tough doesn’t it?
I still have old habits from my teenage years. One of them is leaving socks in a corner of my room until four or five socks stacks up before I put it in a laundry bin. I know, it’s childish. So once in awhile, my wife asks me in the most kind way... “Can you put your socks in the laundry bin. Don’t wait till it stacks up.” Again, she asks in most kind way... but you know what I am thinking... “How can she say that. You squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle...” Instead of receiving the correction I make excuses to accuse her of something.
Now we have to break through this kind of thinking - “how could she/he say that about me?” We have to breakthrough that and listen. And more often than not, at least in my life, God uses most unlikely person to share life giving words. It’ll probably take place in your growth group, if it has not already. And when you listen to them, it’ll turn your relationships around, give you new heart and new directions.
How would you rate yourself in this area? How is your group doing with humility? How are you doing in humility, which is directly related to acceptance. Rate yourself. 1 to 10, 10 being the strongest. If you have given yourself a “10”, you might want to read the questions real quickly again. What weaknesses do you find lacking in your life that’s hard to accept in others? You are not going to get close to anyone until you build the qualities we shared thus far into your life.
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