Humility and Love

A regular theme of late has been loving one another and this morning the Lord came about it in a slightly different path, through Paul's letter to the Colossians.  Paul starts out this chapter encouraging them to grow in love for one another, and then adds some warnings.  Here are a few selected verses - Colossians 2:2-3,8,16-19 NIV:

[2] "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 

[8] "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." 

[16] "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. [18] Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. [19] They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow."

I would recommend reading the whole chapter, as Paul, as always, builds a logical flow of thought that is helpful, and I have just grabbed some of the high-points.  Anyway, the verse that caught my eye this morning was verse 18, and the idea of false humility.  I was doing some research on the original Greek, and came across this definition of humility that I really liked from Strong's.

"In Scripture, tapeinophrosýnē ("lowliness, humility") is an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord (rather than to others). This brings behavior into alignment with this inner revelation to keep one from being self-exalting (self-determining, self-inflated). For the believer, tapeinophrosýnē ("humility") means living in complete dependence on the Lord, i.e. with no reliance on self (the flesh).

[(tapeinophrosýnē) is atypically used of false humility in Col 2:18,23.]"

I love that - a virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord, rather than to others!  

Recently the Lord had me focused on loving one another and extending mercy and compassion to one another rather than judging one another.  Here is that same theme once again, except this time the word comparing is used!   Paul is talking about false humility, which is essentially the opposite of true humility.  Based on Strong's definition, false humility would be a comparing of ourselves to one another, rather than the Lord, and it would be externally initiated.  

In other words, we would find ourselves thinking about how we compare to others and are better than them, in our pursuit of God!  This thought is birthed in the bowels of hell!  

I know for me, the battle is all about my thinking, all about judging others.  I like lists and check marks to track my progress, and I try to apply the same list and check marks to others!  I am legitimately trying to get better, but rather than looking at Jesus, I am looking at the Body and trying to thrust myself to the head of the class, if you will!  I can think that by certain ways of living, or acting, or even knowing certain things, I can show myself as a leader, or one of the "truly" faithful!  This is all self-focused, self-exalting, and the opposite of what the Lord is after.

Again, the focus is supposed to be Christ Jesus!  We are meant to be an encouragement to others, not watching others and judging others in their pursuit of the Lord!  Additionally, we shouldn't be judging how the Lord is working with and in others lives, as compared to us!  

As we spend time in the Body of Christ, we can find ourselves attracted to others who have had awesome experiences in the Lord, those who know things, those who have seen things, done things, living blessed lives, and we aspire to that type of experience.  We think that this is how the Lord blesses the ones He loves.  

I so appreciate Paul's chapter on love found in His first letter to the Corinthians.  We often see verses from this chapter quoted or read at weddings and such, but right now I wanted to focus on the first few verses from that chapter - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV:

[1] If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [3] If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Paul is basically addressing the same thing in these verses, as he did in our verses from Colossians, and his warning is that love is the most important, and if love is not present than there is nothing of value!   True love was demonstrated by the Lord, and His encouragement was that it would be by our love for one another that we would be seen as His followers, not by our cool and awesome experiences. 

We should, all of us, aspire to loving God and loving one another.  I am reminded of Mother Theresa, who probably had many awesome stories and interactions with the Lord, but what she is best know for is her love in action!  What a great example of how we should respond to others around us!  She spent her life trying to love others, especially the lowly, like Jesus would.  She wasn't comparing herself to others, she was responding to the needs she saw around her and aspiring to love and care, and make a difference one person at a time.  Her life is a great example of someone who embraced true humility.

This morning I am encouraged in my love for those around me!  I am encouraged to look to the Lord, and compare myself to Him, so that I might be like Him in some small way!  I am encouraged to look at my thoughts of  comparison towards others, of judgment, and any "religious" aspirations that are focused on tasks, special knowledge or the the like, and take any that are not focused toward the Lord captive that I might reject them.   

'My goal is that I may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that I may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that I may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (modified version of Colossians 2:2-3).  He is worthy of my life pursuit.

Amen!