To be humble…
Before you read on – go read the last blog post here if you haven’t already. It’s all about our value of being people who are hungry, and also remind yourselves of our Kerith Vision Statement “Helping people find their way back to God through communities growing in their love for God and their love for people”
Our vision is what we are aiming for, but our values are the way we outwork that vision. They describe the manner in which we want to live and the kind of people we want to be. Over these three weeks we are looking at being people who are hungry, humble and healthy.
Last Sunday, Ben Pocock brought us teaching around our second value area in what it means to be humble, and we’ve summarised that message in this week’s blog!
Paul writes in Philippians 2:3-4:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Paul’s words challenge us because we live in a world that constantly encourages us to focus on ourselves. Personalised playlists, tailored recommendations, front-facing cameras, individualised advertising - even our coffee can be made just for us!
We are surrounded by messages that say, “It’s all about you.”
Yet we are made for community. And the only way to truly live well together is through humility.
Humility means turning our attention towards others: serving one another, loving one another and caring for one another. It means looking beyond our own goals, dreams and needs and asking, “How can I contribute to someone else’s wellbeing?”
Of course, humility doesn’t mean neglecting ourselves. There is an important difference between looking after yourself and being selfish. The challenge is recognising when our own interests have become more important than everyone else’s.
Ultimately, our model of humility is Jesus.
Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus “made himself nothing” and took “the very nature of a servant.” He humbled himself and became obedient—even to death on a cross.
That is the mindset we are called to have!
Humility is more than thinking less of ourselves. It is choosing to see, value and serve others.
This week, let’s look beyond ourselves and ask: Who can I serve?
Where may God be asking me to look beyond myself and notice someone else’s needs this week?
Maybe it’s helping someone without being asked, letting someone go first, encouraging someone, including someone who is alone, doing a job nobody wants to do, or simply saying something kind.
When we do this, we bring a little more of heaven to earth.