To Be Humble In Spirit

As I look at our world today, even in day to day work for the average person, I see a problem and that is so many filled with pride. With pride comes egos that are so large they have difficulty getting in the door. I have heard it said of such people that they are legends in their own minds.

We see news makers, world leaders, actors or sport people, Preachers, Business people, Store Managers, people from every area of life who believe they are better than other people.

All too often these people hold a superior attitude and let everyone know it.

One passage that I see shows this very well is the story of the Rich Young Ruler.

Mark 10: 17-31

The Rich Young Ruler
 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘DO not murder, DO not commit adultery, DO not steal, DO not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

Here we have a young man who wanted eternal life. He asked Jesus how to obtain it. Jesus tells the young man what he must do. The Rich young ruler says I have done all of that. Jesus knowing the man’s problem, as only the Lord could know, tells him to go and sell all his possessions.

This man shows us what many with pride and ego issues are like. Sure, I have already done all of that. I have been doing that since I was a youth. Jesus speaks to him and says, go and sell your possessions and give it all to the poor.

The Young man could not do that. He was to proud of all that he owned and all that he had done to get it. How could he let all that go?

So many people don’t see what Jesus truly call us to do. We are to humble ourselves, not raise ourselves up. We are to leave things behind in order to follow Jesus. How many would be willing to leave it all behind. The best example I can show of some one doing so, Peter, Jesus said follow me. Peter dropped the nets and followed Jesus.

Jesus calls those who are working, but they must be willing to set all aside for Jesus. That is what the rich young ruler was not willing to do. That is the problem of so many people, their lives, their possessions come first. Their pride gets in the way because they did that, look at all they had to do to get it.

Mark 8: 34-37

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

This passage tells us even more what we must do, deny ourselves. There is only one way for that to happen, get off our high horse, humble ourselves, set our goals and plans aside because they are not the Lords plans.

Paul got knocked off His high horse and was shown by Jesus what he must do. God used Paul to spread the gospel. Paul was proud of his accomplishments, Paul thought himself better than most and was persecuting Christians. Jesus took the blinders off and showed Paul a better way.

We need to preach the truth so that the proud and ego centric people in this world are given the opportunity to change their ways. Time is short, those of us who know the Lord must share the true, the real and good news, the Gospel, The Word of Jesus Christ with the world.

Read these few passages from Proverbs on what the Lord says of Pride.

Proverbs 8:13

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 16: 18-19

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

 Pride goes before destruction, it is followed by dishonour, the Lord hates pride and arrogance. What more do we need to be told?

It is better to live and be humble than to be caught up in pride and set yourself above the world around you. Show them and share with them the truth.

Friends Pride goes before the fall, before destruction, this reminds me of narrow is the way that leads to life and broad is the path that leads to destruction.

They must know the truth because the truth will set them free.