Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”  Rick Warren.

My father passed away a little over 2 weeks ago on New Year’s Eve. After years of suffering with dementia and congestive heart failure, he succumbed to his physical ailments and went to heaven. We had been saying goodbye to him little-by-little as his grasp on reality was challenged by dementia. But, by the grace of God dad maintained his sunny disposition, always kind and thoughtful even when he was confused and uneasy. His spirit and Christian virtues were still intact despite the toll this horrible disease took on his mental capacity. Though we couldn’t eulogize him as we would have liked because of his exodus during the Covid pandemic, my family were contacted by hundreds of individuals praising dad’s integrity, kindness and humility. His strength of character displayed throughout his life stood as a bulwark to all who knew him.

Dad was far from perfect though. He would lose his temper sometimes or make a rash decision out of anger, but when he realized his error, he would come to whomever he had wronged and ask for forgiveness in such a humble way. He was transparent, more often talking about what he learned from his failures than his successes. He could be reasoned with at any time, wanting to hear another’s point of view rather than pressing his own.

In life, my father was a force of nature – hard working, honest and reliable. He stood up for what was right even when it cost him a great deal. He stood on his principles in humility, not forcing his views on anyone unless another person needed to be defended. But when asked, he would volunteer his perspective, backed by scripture, experience and most of all, mercy. One of my favorite stories is how he decided not to practice divorce law even though it comprised 50% of his income as an attorney. He said he couldn’t in good conscience have that “blood on his hands,” profiting on the troubles of others. Instead, he offered free counseling to any couples who sought divorce. If after counseling them, the couple still wanted a divorce, he would send them to another attorney. To be clear, my father knew there were times where divorce was a necessary option for those suffering abuse, adultery or addiction. He taught me that principle must be weighed in the balance with mercy. It wasn’t long before God blessed dad’s law practice, more than making up for the income he lost. Over his 49 years of law practice, he counseled over 500 couples for free.

In addition to kindness and generosity, dad’s greatest character trait was his humility. He didn’t puff himself up. In fact, the only person he would brag about was God as he espoused His great love for all and the many ways God had shown him unmerited favor throughout his life. Of course, dad would also brag about his daughters but not in a “my kid is better than yours way.” Every instance of talking about success in his life was in reference to how good and faithful Jesus was in our lives. We are nothing and have nothing except through Christ.

As I’ve pondered my father’s legacy the last few years as his cognition slowly faded, his declining mental capacity diminish had an unexpected result. His spiritual side was more evident and remained strong. It was startling to see a man who was so obviously confused about when or where he was instantly focus when asked to pray. His humble, thankful nature would assert itself and he would pray with authority and grace, fully submitted to his Creator. It has occurred to me as I consider my dad that the foundation of his faith was humility – a person fully submitted to God. Humility was his greatest strength in that it was a reminder of his place of safety and significance in the hands of a God who cares deeply for His creation.

As I sit and write this blog today, I feel a renewed purpose to challenge Christians to adopt a posture of humility. We must realize that our true value rests in that which our Father in Heaven has given us. We are sons and daughters of the Almighty, and as such, we are heirs to a host of blessings, but, this position must not breed in us a haughty nature of entitlement – a presumption of prominence over others, but rather, a servant attitude where we highly value others, preferring them above ourselves. Jesus said this to his disciples in Mark 9:35 – “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”’

And here’s the rub. In this day, many in the Christian community have looked to a political figure or a political movement as their savior, saying he was appointed by God to serve in office. Conservative media and evangelical ministers have used their podiums and broadcasts to state their opinions and promote their own agendas. Worse yet, self-proclaimed prophets have come out with “words” supporting the sitting president and his right to retain office. I’m not here to argue election fraud or other topics surrounding this president, but I will state that focusing so excessively on political issues and using broadcasting resources, pulpits, websites and other voices of the church to promote a political figure is a folly of the greatest order. How does this action reach the lost? How does angry, politically charged rhetoric lend balance to an already heavily divided country. I do believe in standing up for those who are oppressed, but the manner in which the conservative Christian establishment has been going about spreading their political agenda does nothing but hinder the cause of Christ in our country to say nothing of polluting the voice and message of the American church. We are wasting our energy and resources going down a rabbit hole of issues that have no eternal value.

Jesus was not interested in debunking the Roman empire. He set his sights much higher, seeking only to reach the lost and serve and disciple His followers. The only time he stood up against a worldly system was when He rebuked the moneychangers in the temple with a whip in hand, for fleecing earnest temple-goers for profit. I believe we can learn much when laying the template of that biblical story over our current events of today. Christian broadcasters, ministers and prophets who are using their resources to engage in the mire of politics are no better than the moneychangers in the temple. Pandering to an impressionable Christian populace about political matters and receiving donations to continue doing so is abusing the church of Christ. The real shame is that in doing so we are missing the whole point. We are here to serve others and show them the love of Christ. Serving our fellow man, believer or not, is our highest calling. Through scripture, we are challenged to be thankful for the immeasurable gift given us through Jesus and with sharing that reality with others. All other concerns are miniscule in the light of this truth.

Now onto more important things… So what does humility look like? For some, they may think of a bowing and scraping individual with a mousy demeanor. Nothing could be further from the truth. A pastor friend of mine defined humility as “comparing myself to God rather than comparing myself to others” Mike Hennigan.

When you live subject to the person of Christ, we gain a proper perspective, a Godly perspective, reminded of our place. Living with humility means to put my own desires second to the cause of Christ. To stand boldly against injustice of the oppressed, the sick, the dying without flinching. Much like Moses stood before Pharaoh on assignment from God, not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of his people the Israelites.

I believe that there consists an undercurrent of entitlement, an egocentric perspective of the Gospel. We do indeed benefit greatly from the gifts of salvation, but it is through giving and not receiving that true purpose and fulfillment is found. Humility is courageous. It is a reckless faith in God to care for all our needs as we care for others. Humility is the ultimate statement of faith. It is meditating on God and His greatness, putting all other pursuits in perspective.

“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

When we see ourselves through the truth of humility, we are able to embrace the gift of thankfulness. When weighed in the balance of eternity with Christ or the emptiness of hell, all other pursuits are fleeting. Sharing this truth with others and demonstrating God’s goodness and mercy to all we come into contact with is our highest purpose in life as Christians.

The next time you’re tempted to post a political rant online or argue with someone who has an opposite view of yours on an issue, remember that a genuinely courageous person is one with discretion and generosity of spirit. Vengeance is the Lord’s and He doesn’t need our assistance in doling out judgment and punishment. Focus instead on quieting your thoughts and pondering on His goodness. By all means, stand up for what is right… just make sure that what you’re fighting for is of eternal importance and that you fight with a balance of mercy, grace and love.

Dealing with the reality of my father’s passing has reminded me to live with eternal perspective. Remembering my father and his gentle, God-assured nature has newly emboldened my choice to live with a posture of thankfulness and humility – fully surrendered to Christ. Will you choose a life of humility and strength in the light of eternity? It’s the only life which is truly worth living.

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.“
1 Peter 3:8