Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
The older I have gotten, the more I have become convinced that humility is the cornerstone to character. To be frank, until we have the proper perspective on ourselves and who we are in this world, it will be impossible for us to treat others as God calls us to treat them. It will be difficult for us to value others in the way that God values others. This is not to say that we degrade or undervalue our own selves. It is to say, however, that we do serious soul searching in order that we develop a realistic perspective on who we are, including our gifts and our faults. This past Sunday, Kevin Owen kicked off the month of February for us in grand style. Addressing Paul’s words to the church in Philippi, Kevin reminded us of the challenge to recognize and imitate in life the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2, Paul describes in unequivocal terms the humility of Jesus Christ. He addresses things such as obedience, submission, and sacrifice. None of these is popular in our culture (or in any culture of which I am aware). Yet as the children of God—as brothers and sisters in Christ—it is our specific calling to follow Christ in this way. We are to follow him in obedience, submission, and sacrifice. We are to be people who demonstrate the mind of Christ in our everyday lives. We are to be a humble people. February’s focus is on humility. As a result, we will discuss humility every week when we worship together. We are all encouraged to read Romans 12:3 on a daily basis—even to commit it to memory!
–Ricky