Girded With Humility

He hadn't really done anything wrong . . . all he did was walk in the door an hour and a half later that I had been hoping for, as I wanted the help. What did I do when he finally got home? Only give him a not very warm welcome. I fought with holding unnecessary words back. Some of those words, I am afraid, did escape. He really hadn't done anything . . . it was me . . . my sin . . . my pride.

And yet I had been thinking on verses and words I had heard the week before in a Sunday message . . . humility . . . the willingness to take the place of a servant.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:8

Jesus demonstrated humility not only when He left his Father in Heaven above and took on the form of a man, but he demonstrated humility as a
man . . .

He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
John 13:4-5

The disciples really did not know what was going on here as He washed their feet, but He said to them:

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. John 13:15

He did not insist that they should wash his feet even though He is the one who deserved it. He lovingly and humbly served them.


Do we 'wash one another's feet'?

Have we girded ourselves with humility so that we might serve one another?

Do we actually think that we deserve to be served instead?

I read these words here last week. “You would be a hypocrite to think lowly of yourself, but then expect others to think highly of you,” wrote the theologian and chaplain Jeremy Taylor over three hundred years ago. “Remember, no one can undervalue you if you know that you are unworthy. Once you know that, no amount of contempt from another person will be able to hurt.”

As Samuel looked to anoint a king for Israel he heard this from the LORD . . .

For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7

The LORD had chosen David for this task. He provided Him with all that he would need to perform the task.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. 1 Samuel 16:13

David was anointed king as a young man, but it was years later that he actually took the throne. He continued to humbly serve . . . as a shepherd, as he served his father, as he played for King Saul. He encountered much contempt, but he still continued to serve.

Jesus demonstrated His humility ever further . . . He "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 1 Peter 5:5-6