Humility in 6 Marks of a Christian

 4th Mark of the Christian- Humility

" For Humility- ' O LORD GOD,  before whom the publican was justified, give unto thy servants humility of soul, and modesty of behaviour, that our looks be not proud, not our thoughts arrogant, but that being refrained from all vanity and pride, and our affections weaned from great opinions and love of ourselves, we may ever trust in thy mercy, and follow the example of our blessed Master, Jesus Christ our Lord. ' " Amen.  A Free Church Book of Common Prayer, 1929.

" ..the most difficult of all the marks of a Christian, and yet one that is the most essential and characteristic.  It is humility." Shatford

"Be humble or you'll stumble. "

D.L. Moody.

1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

As in Philippians 2:3   tapeinophrosýnē (a noun, derived from 5011 /tapeinós, "low, humble" and 5424 /phrḗn, "moderation as regulated by inner perspective") – properly, low; humility, "lowliness" of human pride (self-government); that quality of mindset of "having a humble opinion of oneself, i.e. a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness – i.e. lowliness of mind" (J. Thayer).

Did you hear about the minister who said he had a wonderful sermon on humility but was waiting for a large crowd before preaching it? 

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Isaiah 57:15 " I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit."

low-humble  Word Origin

from shaphel

Definition

low

NASB Translation

abased (1), deeper (2), humble (3), low (3), lower (2), lowest (1), lowly (5), subjection (1), which is low (1).

contrite-Strong's Concordance

dakka': contrite

Original Word: דַּכָּא

Part of Speech: Adjective; noun masculine

Transliteration: dakka'

Phonetic Spelling: (dak-kaw')

Definition: contrite

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. דַּכָּא adjective contrite (crushed) — דַּכָּא Isaiah 57:15; דַּכְּאֵי Psalm 34:19 — contrite Isaiah 57:15 ("" שְׁפַלרֿוּחַ); רוּחַ ׳ד Psalm 34:19 ("" נִשְׁבְּרֵילֵֿב).

II. דַּכָּא noun [masculine] dust (as pulverized), תָּשֵׁב אֱנוֺשׁ עַדדַּֿכָּא Psalm 90:3 (on form compare BaNB 143).

A Walking Sermon

One of the best stories of humility is that of a man who arrived in 1953 at the Chicago railroad station to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He stepped off the train, a tall man with bushy hair and a big moustache. As the cameras flashed and city officials approached with hands outstretched to meet him, he thanked them politely. 

Then he asked to be excused for a minute. He walked through the crowd to the side of an elderly black woman struggling with two large suitcases. He picked them up, smiled, and escorted her to the bus, helped her get on, and wished her a safe journey. Then Albert Schweitzer turned to the crowd and apologized for keeping them waiting. It is reported that one member of the reception committee told a reporter, “That’s the first time I ever saw a sermon walking.”

Sermon: Rev Roy T. Lloyd 

2." Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest....." Matthew 11:28  The source of humility for the Christian is the rest in Christ we find, not in ourselves.

He is meek and lowly in heart---this is the yoke we need to find His power for living.

I thought of this as I looked at some of the words you may have heard for the Holy Communion I use to introduce the Service of here and used in the older prayer books of the Church of England /  Protestant Episcopal. 

No we are not alone in our Christian journey which God called us to in Christ....it is good for our comfort to know He takes our burdens and shares them with us. He lifts off our shoulders and carries them to the Father .  His burden is light after He takes it off of us.

Who here has not a burden that they would be willing to share with Christ?

It takes some effort on our part , should we say humble action on our part to let Him carry it ?

Now being a reformed Christian you would think I and we should know that but sometimes we too get caught up in our own weak efforts,  and fail to let God take it.  We may believe the arp standards or not but we do not always understand God's ways include our effort as well.

" The mark of humility is ..found in the life of Jesus.  He said, ' Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly.'  ...He always appears in the garb of a servant, and on the night before He died, you remember how He took a towel and ...washed the disciples' feet...He said, ' I have given you an example that ye should do unto othersas I have done unto you.' " Shatford in Six Marks of  a Christian.