We live in a world that has become so inundated with the Gospel of Self, that even the mega preacher’s mainstream sermons are focused on “Self!” This is why we see more than ever, people becoming so easily offended, and why political correctness is dominating our world! In all of this, the root of the problem is true humility is lost, and the natural ego that’s plagued by a sinful nature rules with an iron fist! The condition of the natural ego is that it’s empty by default! So, to fix the problem, we puff it up by focusing life towards ourselves! This is the very root of sin: The day Lucifer stopped worshipping his creator, his focus shifted to himself. He was lifted in pride, thus he became consummate evil! Pride is often overlooked as being “part of our human nature” but my Bible tell’s me, God resists those who have pride in their heart. I don’t want to have anything in my life that causes God to shun me. Paul dealt with the human ego in the Corinthian Church. He used an interesting Greek word, “Physioo” when dealing with an attitude problem. He uses a bit of sarcasm and tells them not to be puffed up (“Physioo”) which means to be swollen and overinflated! That’s in essence what we see in the world today: The Gospel of Self, causes one’s empty ego to become swollen and overinflated, and it doesn’t take much for the air to be let out of your sails! This is why people become so highly offended at the drop of a hat. Your feelings weren’t hurt, it was just the pain from your swollen ego being deflated!  (I hope not to sound as being self-righteous. God has illuminated the error of my ways with my frame of mind and the cloaks of pride we often wear, and God has shown me in His Word how to overcome this problem, beginning with myself! So I’m sharing my school of hard knocks, with the Lord being the Great Professor!)  It’s true bondage when focus is always on self, and that’s an awful small world to live in: THATS WHY THERE IS SUCH FREEDOM IN GODLY HUMILITY!  –Humility is not the opposite of a swollen ego, which would be a deflated one! Again, those who think less of themselves are as guilty as those who have swollen ego’s! The problem still remains with the focus on self!!! Those who live with a rain cloud over their head, live in a small world also, because they attach every situation to themselves! Lord help us to get out of this mind frame! He doesn’t want our ego’s to be swollen, nor deflated!

 

“So what is the solution? How can we achieve humility God’s way? How do we fix our broken ego?”

 

The essence of humility, is when our human ego is filled with Christ, and that includes His Word. Paul tells us in I Corinthians, If we’re going to glory in anything, let us glory in the Lord! He also reminds us, “In Him we live, move and have our being!” Paul understood in order to combat the prideful nature, we must fill our mind with Christ.

Paul had a natural swollen ego, due to the fact of his intelligence. He reveals his problem when telling us the purpose of his thorn, “it was placed in my side lest I be exalted above measure!” Paul had so much head knowledge, as well as heavenly revelation, his ego drifted towards being prideful, but he knew Pride could be his demise if he didn’t keep godly humility! On the other end of the spectrum, Paul had to carry the knowledge of his past sins, thus he gives us beautiful insight to how we are to THINK! He reminded us in Romans VIII, There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit!  He also tells the Corinthian’s, I don’t care what your judgement of me is, “I don’t even judge myself!!!” Only God judges me!!! That’s been such a powerful truth in Scripture that has given me freedom in my life! Paul wasn’t offended when he was ridiculed by others, because his pride wasn’t swollen, nor was it deflated.  He said, “I don’t even judge myself!!” This is perhaps an Achilles heel for so many Christians: We judge ourselves too much! We can be our own worst enemy, but always beating ourselves up still focuses on SELF!!!! Paul personifies freedom here, because he shows us,

 

 

 

“SELF WORTH COMES DIRECTLY FROM GOD!”

 

I don’t know about those who may be reading my article, but this has truly blessed my life, and given me such freedom! I have always been my own worst enemy, always worrying about the opinions of others, as well as me being harsh on myself! Paul show’s us true humility: It’s not talking ourselves up into being a somebody, nor is it beating ourselves down to keep us humble:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“IT IS THE FREEDOM OF THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF LESS!”

Think about it this way: Your body is mechanically engineered by God Almighty to work in sync. He gave us a central Nervous system to help us detect when something isn’t right! When an isolated member of your body becomes out of sync, it draws attention to itself, and according to what it is, can have a direct effect on the rest of your body! This is what happens to us when our ego is not filled with Christ: it will either be swollen or deflated all the time! This will in turn cause us to become easily wounded and offended on a daily basis! When our ego is off balance, focus is always on SELF! The key is to live life in a free flow, to where nothing on us draws attention to itself! I believe part of our mind being filled with Christ, is to love like He loves (which is a selfless love, a sacrificial love -where you don’t give it in expectation of a return!) Being filled with Christ also includes His Word, for that’s in essence who He is! Having God’s Word soaked in our hearts will enable us to handle the offenses of life, without becoming offended. David said,

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Ps 119:165

This can be achieved by godly humility: The freedom of thinking about ourselves less! Notice the powerful words of Paul, in a passage to the Philippian’s Church!

“[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:3-8 

Christ came in the form of a servant. To think, He was El Shaddai who robed Himself in Flesh, yet made Himself of no reputation! The epitome of Humility was the fact He didn’t even come to earth for Himself! He done it for the World! He had the Souls of this world on His mind, and in His flesh, became obedient to death on the Cross! Have we ever allowed our mind to go to that scene, and imagine us taking the beating, dragging that Cross up a hill and feeling the nails pierce our flesh? Have we thought about being lifted up to witness those crying out, “Crucify Him!” Mocking Him, spitting on Him! It would have been justifiable to call His Angels to come and get Him down! Yet, He kept His focus on the sins of humanity, and knew Calvary wasn’t for Himself! His selfless Love kept Him on the Cross!

That’s humility worth striving for! As long as we’re in these mortal bodies, we will fail, but we are called to strive for Perfection. Paul never reached His goal while in the flesh, but he pressed towards the Mark! That mark is the humility of Jesus Christ. As Peter tells us, “Be clothed with Humility!” Let our empty ego’s be filled with Jesus Christ, and let us never forget who we are as a Child of the King. Let us have the mind of Christ in all manner of life, and lean on His Grace to teach us, and strengthen us! I’m reminded of the song, “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be!” We’ve not got it right yet folks, but I can see the mark, and I’m striving to get there! May the Lord richly bless your lives today, and make sure “You’ve made your call and election sure!”

God Bless, JDS