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We Need Humility
By Robert I Holmes
Storm-Harvest Ministries
28 Nov 2001

John Sandford once said, "We have two options: either we humble ourselves, or be humiliated. We can do it, or God can do it to us, but either way all flesh will be brought low". When praying this week I felt the Lord say, "Humility is the critical character trait I am looking for in the nations. In the times ahead, I will judge the nations, and those who humble themselves under my mighty hand will receive grace. Those who shake their fist and rage in pride shall be brought down" (Psalm 2:1-2). I asked a few friends what they thought of when I said, 'humble'. They said: someone in the background, someone who does not promote themselves, a servant or perhaps a gentleman. What other words connect easily to humility: meekness, lowliness, modesty and perhaps gentleness?

Humility defined

In the Old Testament language of Hebrew the word for humble was 'anav'. It was certainly connected with things like being gentle, lowly, meek and poor. However at its root it was rather more about being able to abase yourself, deal harshly with yourself, forcing yourself down and being able to submit. The word was applied directly to Moses, who was "very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth" (Num. 12:3). Moses was no push over. He was a strong leader, well able to command a mobile unit of 3.5 million people. He was courageous, long suffering and patient. When challenged for leadership - humility came to the fore. He did not rail against his accusers. Instead he humbled himself and let God decide. Invariably his detractors lost the battle, as God rose up in his defence.

In the New Testament language of Koine Greek the word for humble was 'praus'. Borrowed from the military, praus related to horse training. The Greecian army would find the wildest horses in the mountains and bring them to be broken in. After months of training they sorted themselves into categories: some were discarded, some broken and made useful for burden bearing, some were useful for ordinary duty and the fewest of all graduated as war horses. When a horse passed the conditioning required for a war horse, its state was described as 'praus'. The war horse had 'power under authority' or 'strength under control'. A war horse never ceased to be determined, strong and passionate. However it learned to bring its nature under discipline. It gave up being wild, unruly, out of control and rebellious. A war horse learned to bring that nature under control. It would now respond to the slightest touch of the rider, stand in the face of canon fire, thunder into battle and stop at a whisper. It was now 'humble'. That's some definition!

Biblical humility is not about being able to fight for last place, putting yourself down or being able to stay out of the limelight. It's about being able to bring your character under the control of the Spirit, being able to submit whilst remaining strong and passionate for Jesus. Paul counseled Titus to, "be subject [submit] to rulers and authorities, be obedient, be ready for every good work, speak evil of no one, avoid quarrelling, to be gentle [humble] and show every courtesy to everyone" (Titus 3:1). This can be shortened down to "submit, obey, be ready, be kind, be humble." Be like that war horse. A rare and highly sort after trait God highly values humility. He searches the earth for one who will humble themselves (Isa. 66:2). Those aspiring to leadership need to know that humility, and it's companion self control are mandatory traits (1 Tim. 3:2, 3 & Titus 1:7,8). Don't think these are for leaders only, all Christians are to bear the fruit of the spirit, which is includes "gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22). There is a pay off, God promises to make his dwelling place with those who are humble (Isa. 57:15) and promises them the earth as their inheritance (Matt. 5:5).

In the classic story of scouting the promised land, there were twelve men selected for the task, "every one of them a leader among men" (Num. 13:2). They got forty days to examine the land and God got forty days to examine them. The land each man saw was the same. Ten of them saw it as impossible - the inhabitants of the land were 'giants'. Two of them saw the God they served and knew the land could be taken. An entire generation died in the wilderness because of the ten. Of that generation only the two entered the promised land - Joshua and Caleb. It is true, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

Conclusion

The process of becoming humble seems to be two way. Humility and gentleness are fruits of the Spirit, given freely by grace. But we are also told to clothe ourselves with humility (1 Pet. 5:5), an act of the will. Some might say to themselves, "Let's see, I lack humility in several areas of my life, I should start work on them one at a time". Benjamin Franklin reported in his autobiography, "I tried this approach, and it didn't work. As soon as I had mastered one area and went onto the next, the first area started slipping out of my grasp". Character change takes life experience, hard work, pain and a lot of grace.

Beauty Tips
by Audrey Hepburn
sent by Jody N.
Scottsdale, Arizona

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows.
The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAKING
The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit
by Watchman Nee

Sooner or later a servant of God discovers that he himself is the greatest frustration to his work. Sooner or later he finds that his outer man does not match his inner man. The inner man heads in one direction, while the outer man heads in another direction. He discovers that his outer man cannot be subject to the rule of the spirit and cannot walk according to God's highest demands. He discovers that the greatest hindrance to his work is his outer man and that this outer man frustrates him from exercising his spirit.

Every servant of God should be able to exercise his spirit, to secure God's presence in his spirit, to know God's word through his spirit, to touch men's condition by his spirit, to convey God's word through his spirit, and to sense and receive divine revelation with his spirit. Yet the frustration of the outer man makes it impossible for him to use his spirit. Many servants of the Lord are fundamentally unfit for the Lord's work because they have never been dealt with by the Lord in a fundamental way. Without this dealing, they are basically unqualified for any work. All excitement, zeal, and earnest pleading is vain. This kind of fundamental dealing is the only way for us to become a useful vessel to the Lord.

Servanthood ~ 10 Absolutes for Caregivers
by David George

Never argue, instead agree.
Never reason, instead, divert.
Never shame, instead, distract.
Never lecture, instead, reassure.
Never “remember,” instead, reminisce.
Never “I told you,” instead, repeat.
Never “you can’t”, instead, “do what you can.”
Never command or demand, instead, ask or model.
Never condescend, instead, encourage or praise.
Never force, instead, reinforce.

Caregiving of any kind is a real labor of love, and those who can do it (it takes “special” people) are to be commended and held up in prayer. There are several applicable verses in Mark, like 9:35 (niv), “...if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Also, Mark 10:43, ...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,” and 10:45, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Servanthood seems very special in the eyes of God.