IMPACT BY HUMILITY

“...be CLOTHED with HUMILITY, for “God resists the proud, but gives GRACE to the HUMBLE” – 1 Peter 5:5b

“Humility” by Charles Joseph Mahaney, provides worthwhile insight into making IMPACT by HUMILITY: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be CLOTHED with HUMILITY, for “God resists the proud, but gives GRACE to the HUMBLE” (1 Pet.5:5). The book’s title, Humility: True Greatness, offers a glimpse of the irony in the pursuit of humility: The pursuit of humility and of greatness are one and the same, provided that we seek greatness as defined by the Creator. Humility and Pride cannot coexist. Where one is fostered, the other is defeated.

Humility is a difficult subject: how can a person write a book on humility without sounding like he feels he is most qualified? But Mahaney did, using the Scripture as the foundation for his teaching. The book is divided into three sections, dealing with: the Battle of Humility versus Pride; our Savior and the Secret of True Greatness; and, the Practice of True Humility.

True humility is a battle against the pride that lives deep within every heart. It is “honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s Holiness and our sinfulness” – two foundational realities. Only those who have had their eyes opened by the Holy Spirit to see the depth of their own depravity and God’s overwhelming Holiness, can achieve true greatness! God hates the sin of pride above all other sin, because the real first sin was Satan’s pride in thinking he could be greater than God (Isa.14:12-15; Eze.28: 12-19). Yet, pride plagues all humans in different ways. We must each examine our lives for pride to be exposed and expelled!

Mahaney defines greatness as Jesus did: Being a servant to all. Just as Jesus came to serve, so must we serve with our lives. Christ lived as the perfect example of humble service. And, apart from the reality of the Cross and Christ’s sacrifice, there is no serving. We attain true greatness by emulating His example that led Him to the cross where He made the greatest sacrifice. Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him.” Jesus paid our ransom. He alone should lead us. When we attempt to be in control, we can no longer be truly humble.

God abhors pride, opposes the proud, but attends to and uplifts the humble (Psa.25:9; 147:6; Isa.66:2; Jam.4:10). Building on scriptural foundation, Mahaney highlights the Practice of Humility: how humility can be applied to different aspects of life; how to daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken the great enemy (pride) and cultivate making impact by the great ally (humility). Ultimately, humility is more about who we are or should be than what we do!