HUMBLE YOURSELF by Pastor Alex

HUMBLE YOURSELVES

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.’ 1 Peter 5:6-11

These words, which Peter uses to sign off on his first letter are words that are as important and useful to us today as men. Over the next few Grapevines, we want to look at these words and dissect what they mean for us.

Thoughout Scripture, we are often reminded that we are supposed to be a people who are humble. In our family life, work life and church life, we are supposed to walk in humility. That means we don’t take all the credit for the work that was a group effort.

Forbes magazine outlined the 13 habits of humble people:

1. Situationally aware 2. Retain relationships 3. Make difficult decisions with ease 4. Put others first 5. Listen 6. Are curious 7. Speak their mind 8. Say ‘Thank you’ 9. Have an abundance mentality 10. Start sentences with ‘you’ rather than ‘I’ 11. Accept feedback 12. Assume responsibility 13. Ask for help

As I look at these characteristics, I discover there is something in these points that helps us understand the importance of being humble men.

We are called to be men who put others first. “Humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.” (Rick Pitino).

times, she will say: “You’re not really listening!” as I gaze at her from the TV. We need to be people who truly listen. We need to actively listen to those around us.

Humility is the ability to listen to others, as their ideas might be better than ours. Listen to them so they feel like they are being heard, and actually listen and weigh up the suggestion they are making. “When you listen, you learn. You absorb like a sponge, and your life becomes so much better than when you are just trying to be listened to all the time” (Steven Spielberg).

We are called to be men who have an abundance mentality. In church, we often refer to this as a ‘Kingdom mentality’ - one that states there is enough for everyone. We are not called to be men who build our own kingdoms but men who build His, and this entails continually keeping our eyes on Jesus and following where He leads, whilst at the same time helping others to reach the same destination. We aren’t in competition with each other; the end goal is the same. “Humble people don’t believe that one person’s ‘win’ necessarily means another person’s ‘loss’” (Jeff Boss).

Finally, humble people ask for help. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new” (Barack Obama).

As men, the hardest things at times is to ask for help. However one of the most precious things we can do is to ask for help. Sometimes it is extremely important to ask people for help before it is too late. This can be really hard for anyone, but it is actually in those moments of asking for help that I discover that God begins to lift the burdens off my shoulders.

As we continue to move through 2020, let us be men who are humble in the way we walk.

We are called to put others before ourselves. We need to know that in our humility, we share the glory with others around us. We make sure everyone gets credit for the work they have done in making everything work.

As a church, we have to understand there are so many people who make church work. We need everyone for the body to function properly.

We are called to be men who listen. My wife often tells me I don’t need someone to fix my problems, but someone to listen. At other