The Humility to Love and Serve Others
From The HeartPublish date: 05/23/2010
Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. James 4:10 AMP
If you want the Lord to be able to use you, then you will need to make yourself available to Him. You will need to be willing to humble yourself so God can use you. If you will humble yourself—lower yourself in your own estimation before the Lord—He will make your life significant—He will make your life count for eternity. Micah 6:8 AMP says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?” What God requires of us, above all, is justice, mercy and humility. If you want to lead a significant life, you will have to humble yourself to love and serve others.
1 Corinthians 13:5 AMP says that love, “is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].” There can be no love without humility and no humility without love. Because of the attributes of love, only the humble are capable of walking in love. The proud and arrogant cannot and do not love others, because they are selfish—they are number one in their own heart and life. Pride, conceit and arrogance are empty and vain. Pride puts its own needs first, but love puts others before itself and the needs of others before its needs. You could say that pride is rude and unmannerly, acts unbecomingly, insisting on its own rights and its own way, is self-seeking, is touchy, fretful and resentful, and it takes everything personally. Love, however, humbles itself to serve and put others first; love humbles itself to not take things personally; love humbles itself to keep being kind to people who are being mean.
Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble). 1 Peter 3:8 AMP
Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. 4 Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4 AMP
Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. Romans 12:16 AMP
We are commanded by the Lord to be compassionate, courteous, sympathetic and understanding—not haughty —to live in harmony with one another and to be readily and easily adjustable. Remember—we are servants of the King —He commands us not to overestimate ourselves or to be so important in our own eyes that we can’t give ourselves to doing humble tasks for ourselves and others. James 3:13-18 says that if you are wise and intelligent, then you—by your noble living—should show forth your good works with the humility which is the proper attribute of true wisdom. He warns us that unchecked pride stirs envy, jealousy and strife and that this prideful behavior is carnal and even demonic in origin and outworking. God’s wisdom, on the other hand, is humble and peace-loving, pure and courteous; it is willing to listen and yield to reason; it is whole-hearted and straightforward; it is impartial and genuine; full of compassion and good fruits and produces, and leads to, peace.
I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service, 2 Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. 3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 AMP
Paul begs us to lead a life worthy of the Lord’s divine calling on our lives. No matter what anyone else does, you have to choose to walk in love and peace. Romans 12:18 AMP says, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” You have to be willing to put an effort into guarding and keeping harmony, unity and peace alive. It takes lots of patience to live in harmony and unity with others and it is love and humility that make patience possible.
Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble). 9 Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God—that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].
1 Peter 3:8-9 AMP
The humble person is one who can continue to love someone who is cruel and mean, and still pray for their welfare, happiness, and protection, returning blessing for evil, rather than fighting back. When we submit to the Lord to obey Him, rather than following man’s wisdom or allowing our flesh to rule us, we will come out on top in the end. There is a reward for those who walk in love, humility and unity toward each other. They are the ones who inherit His blessings. The Lord has promised to bless those who walk in love with His welfare, happiness and protection.