Humility
Humility
“Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 God answered, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:9-12
God saw the oppression of the Israelites. He saw their suffering. And He needed a leader to lead them out of slavery and into freedom. When he approaches Moses, what does he say?
Who am I?
He doesn’t think he’s qualified.
He’s not eloquent of speech.
He has no apparent qualifications. In fact, he’s a Midianite shepherd, tending to his flock, minding his own business.
And yet, God chooses Him.
One of the best definitions of humility I’ve seen is from C.S. Lewis, who said: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Now, someone might argue, Moses is thinking less of himself because he asks, Who Am I? And I would argue, he wasn’t asking that because he was down on himself; he was just truly wondering, “Who am I that I would be the one God chooses to lead such an extraordinary mission? Who am I that God would choose me of all the people in the world to accomplish great things in his name?”
I work for one of the most humble leaders I’ve ever been around. Our senior pastor, who is set to retire on March 1, 2020, embodies this kind of humility. When he looks around at this church, our staff, and the people in the seats, he genuinely wonders, “Who am I that God would choose me to lead this church?”
Here’s what I’ve noticed over the years: We have plenty of people who think they’re ready for more, more, more, but God will often choose the people who humbly ask, “Who am I?”
The truth is, I’m guilty of harboring those kinds of desires.
If only God would give me more responsibility.
If only God would give me more leadership.
If only God would see just how great I truly am than I’d get more.
Those kinds of thoughts and desires are generated on my worst days.
But when I’m healthy and operating at my best? I truly feel genuinely humbled by what God has tasked me to do.
Maybe it’s time to take an honest self-assessment.
Pause for a moment and reflect on whether you fit into one of these two categories:
If you’re someone who feels like you want more – responsibility, leadership, influence, opportunity – instead of searching for more, humble yourself. Keep your head down, do the work, and remain humble. As 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
However, if you’re someone who already has a lot and you’re feeling kind of self-righteous about it (this is where I find myself guilty), spend the next 5 minutes thanking God for what you do have. Then, spend the next 5 days every morning or night just telling God what you are grateful for. There is nothing like gratitude to remind us to remain humble.
God will call those who remain humble.
Time and time again, the people God chooses to use are those who least expect it.
Who am I?