last weekend.

humility.

humility is the end of focusing on whether you’re better or worse than someone else.

it’s focusing on being like Christ, on the One who will reveal who we truly are. we were made in God’s image--focusing on living like Christ, who is the fullness of God revealed in man, is the one thing that will bring out our true selves from the corruption that our sinful nature has encased us in.

it’s learning that “being better than everyone else”…well, that it’s really not that great a goal at all.

it’s having the attitude that everyone else is better than you

instead of

that you are better than everyone else.

is this dishonest? is God (who seems to be pretty obsessed with truth) asking us to ignore reality to live like this?

well...what would make us better than anyone else?

better attitudes, better actions, better thoughts, better dreams, better pursuits?

let’s say someone is a murderer, and I…well, you know, I tell other people’s secrets sometimes. or something. it really isn’t much.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10).

according to that we’re both equal in God’s sight. cause we’re both guilty. it really makes no difference how guilty. we’re both guilty.

except not anymore, cause Jesus took our punishment. so now we’re both holy. or at least, we’re being made holy.

and now…all I have responsibility for is how I live. I can’t do anything about how someone else lives…but I can do something about how I live. so it’s a lot more important to me when I break God’s law. I know my weaknesses and failures far better than I know anyone else’s, and better than anyone else knows mine. so as far as I’m concerned, since my weaknesses are the only ones I can do anything about, they’re the only ones I need be concerned with. as far as I’m concerned, whether other people are “better” or “worse” than me makes no difference. I still have issues I need to deal with. maybe when I get past every single one of my issues, maybe when I’ve gotten every single plank out of my own eye, I can start worrying about other people’s mites. maybe then, once I’m perfect, me & Jesus can have a little chat about how to deal with other people. but till then my focus is on him.

“consider others better than yourselves”

so what, God wants me to think I suck?

like, ‘oh, snap, look at how awesome that kid is. and how lame I am.

I suck.’

um, no. God doesn’t think of me that way, so neither should I.

remember? I am chosen; I am holy; I am dearly loved.

I in no way suck.

anyway. the point is unity. the point is that we quit focusing on trying to separate ourselves from everyone else in order to make us feel good.

what’s so awesome about being first anyway?

does God want us to want to be first?

we love being first because it’s being closer to perfection.

maybe it’s even, in some ways, defining perfection.

but isn’t the definition of perfection pretty much just God?

so if our quest to be first is rooted in a quest for perfection…

maybe we should quit wasting our time on that and just quest for God.

along with everyone else who loves him.

maybe we should start valuing the people who share our values.

humility is realizing that our true selves are already guaranteed

that nothing we do can gain or lose them once we are found in Christ

and that we can let go of our quest to “find ourselves”

cause we’ve already been found.

Jesus was “in very nature God” but he “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.”

he didn’t have to do anything

or look like anything

or keep any position

or make anyone else feel smaller so he could feel bigger

or do whatever he wanted

to keep his true identity.

because his true identity was guaranteed in and by God.

he was free.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:10,11