THE GARMENT OF HUMILITY

THE GARMENT OF HUMILITY 

"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit". Proverbs  29:23 (KJV)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name"-  Philippians  2:5 -9 (KJV)

In the late 1800s, D.L. Moody was the most famous evangelist in the world and people from all over the world attend his Bible Conferences. One year a large group of pastors from Europe were among the attendees who were given rooms in the dormitory of the Bible school. As was the custom in Europe, the men put their shoes outside the door of their room, expecting them to be cleaned and polished by servants during the night. But there were no servants in the American dorm.

One night, while Moody was walking through the halls and praying for his guests, he saw the shoes and realized what had happened. He mentioned the problem to a few of his students, but none of them offered to help. Then, he humbly gathered up the shoes and took them back to his own room where he began to clean and polish each pair. So, despite the praise and fame that D.L. Moody received because of God’s blessing on his life and ministry, he remained a humble man till he passed away.

"People who think they are better than others will be made humble. But people who humble themselves will be made great" - Matthew 23:12 (ERV)

One special attribute of truly great minds is their depth of humility. Humility is a state of being humble; absence of pride or self-assertion. While many consider humility as a logo of stupidity, the wise ones understand that it is the ladder for climbing the height of true and ensuring greatness in all spheres of life. The exodus of king Nebuchadnezzar to the kingdom of the beast is a clear evidence of what pride or self-assertion can do to anyone (Daniel 4:30-37). It was pride that humilated that king of Babylon. Pride dragged him away from his throne and ridiculed him in the thick forest of insanity for seven years. But by the time he returned to the palace, he understood better that no man can remain relevant in life without a humble heart and disposition.

"But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:" -Daniel  5:20 (KJV)

Unfortunately,  there are several people in our generation today who has nominated Nebuchadnezzar -the king of Babylon as their mentor. Their cherished slogan and motto is "If You Have Got It You Have To Flaunt It". If you are one of them, then I urge you to please retrace your way back to the path of humility before God pronounce judgment upon you as He did to your mentor - king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  

According to Philippians 2:5-9, Jesus Christ wore the garment of humility throughout His days on earth. Unlike many of us, he never assert himself or show off His power, affluence and glory. "If you have got it you have to flaunt it" was not in His Dictionary. Despite His exalted position as the only begotten Son of the God and King of Heaven, He chose to humble himself until He finished His mission on earth. If that renowned Evangelist  D. L. Moody can emulate our Saviour,  don't you think you and I  need to do same? 

One special hymn that describes the humble disposition that Jesus Christ demonstrated is titled "Oh, To Be Nothing". The lyrics of this wonderful hymn below should be our heart cry as we approach the finished line on earth.  

OH, TO BE NOTHING By Georgiana M. Taylor, 1869

Oh, to be nothing, nothing,
Only to lie at His feet,
A broken and emptied vessel,
For the Master’s use made meet.
Emptied that He might fill me,
As forth to His service I go;
Broken, that so unhindered
His life through me might flow.

Refrain:
          Oh, to be nothing, nothing,
          Only to lie at His feet,
          A broken and emptied vessel,
          For the Master’s use made meet.

Oh, to be nothing, nothing,
Only as led by His hand;
A messenger at His gateway,
Only waiting for His command;
Only an instrument ready
His praises to sound at His will,
Willing, should He not require me,
In silence to wait on Him still.

Oh, to be nothing, nothing,
Painful the humbling may be,
Yet low in the dust I’d lay me
That the world might my Savior see.
Rather be nothing, nothing,
To Him let all voices be raised:
He is the Fountain of blessing,
He only is meet to be praised.

Beloved, will you like to live as Jesus lived? Will you like to give up your rights and reflect His humility in all your endeavours? Then, you need to lay down at His feet like a truly broken and empty vessel so that He can glorify Himself through you. May we truly become nothing indeed in our own sight so that the world might see the saviour through us. May the robe of pride and arrogance upon us be torn into pieces so that God can cloth us with his beautiful robe/garment of humility that Jesus wore on earth. May the evil crown of pride upon our head and the rod of pride in our hands be trodden underneath our feet from this day in Jesus name (Isaiah 28:3, Proverbs 14:3).

Please join us at the 2019 Men's Conference tagged "Wake Up, Men!" on Saturday 28th September 2019. Venue: RCCG, Court of His Majesty Mega Parish, Gate Bustop, Ipaja Road, Lagos. Nigeria.

Good morning and God bless you.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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