Humility

You can define humility as a low view of one's own importance. Lately in the news I have not seen a great deal of humility. Not from President Trump. Not from Lamar Ball. Not from NFL athletes. Not from NBA athletes. Not from foreign dictators.

So much bragging. So much seeking attention. So many wanting pats on the back and recognition. So much boasting. Such quests for greatness.

Two sets of verses cross my mind. One dealing with the greatest of all. No, I am not thinking about Muhammad Ali. I am referring to Jesus. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The hero of Heaven. The very Son of God. And yet read this passage slowly. Ponder the number of ways Jesus intentionally chose humility when He rightly deserved all the attention and adoration.

Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)
⁵  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
⁶  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
⁷  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
⁸  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
⁹  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Next, who will be the man to ever boast in God's presence. Who will be the man or woman to show off a resume and list of accomplishments. We will boast about  successes, families, job tiles, salaries, or status before a holy God. Great people in this life will be complete failures in the afterlife without Jesus. 

He alone saves. Jesus saves with grace through faith. He gives us what we could never merit on our own. And still men brag and boast instead of displaying humility and following the example of Jesus. If people carry that attitude into eternity it will lead to their eternal destructions. Nobody will boast before God. Nobody. With humble hearts people must repent, acknowledge their sinfulness,  need of a Savior, and believe Jesus for salvation. If proud people refuse to humble themselves before almighty Jehovah there will be a day of reckoning. There will be a day of vengeance an awesome and terrible day of fierce wrath.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
⁸  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
⁹  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.