Walk Humbly with My God

These past couple of months have been tough.  I lost my mother in June and my wife of thirty years in July. If that wasn’t enough, we lost family on my wife’s side as well. We lost one sister in February, and a second sister passed during my wife’s funeral service.

Now I do not mention all of that for sympathy but perspective. I am not a strong man, but I trust in the Lord, and in all this, the only thing that I must lean on is Him.  Yes, I have beautiful friends that are more family than friends. They are amazing, but faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father gets me through the lonely times.  That faith sets Christians apart from others who morn.

Without that faith, I would be a wreck, but I can lean on Jesus in the sad and silent days with this faith. With Jesus, I am never alone, even on the lonely quiet days in this world.

Today was one of those days, but the Lord just set me on a path beginning with an old devotional, “Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.  The date of the devotional was August 9, “Prayer in the Father’s Hearing.”

“Prayer in the Father’s Hearing.”

The devotional was great.  If you do not have “Utmost for His Highest” in your library, you should get it. It is an inexpensive book that you can find on about any book site, or you can find it online at utmost.org, and it is posted every day and can be read there for free

This devotional had an unexpected consequence for me today. The passage that got me thinking sent me bouncing off in a slightly different direction than the writer intended.  The passage was effortless.

“Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God.  We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment.”

These two sentences struck a nerve, so I stuck them in my One-note notebook where I save important thoughts, and I went on to my study in Philippians.  As I began reading, I came across this passage “worthy of the Gospel.” It stopped me in my tracks. I am not sure I had ever thought about that at all.

Worthy of the Gospel

Worthy of the Gospel… The phrase was in verse 27 of chapter 1.

Philippians 1:27 (NASB)

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ…

Now that is not the whole verse, but it is the part that grabbed my attention.  Be worthy of the Gospel. The first thing that comes to mind is John 1 because Jesus is the Gospel.

John 1:1-5 (NASB)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

I had to stop for a moment or more to consider this.

Reflections

Paul’s reference in this first chapter and this verse was to be worthy of the Gospel. The devotional that I read, which started this whole thought process, reminded me that I was woefully incapable of conducting myself in a manner worthy of Jesus.  To do so, I had to make “sure that (my)our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him (the indwelling Holy Spirit), allowing Him to work through it moment by moment.” But what more did Paul have to say in this verse… and maybe the next one…

Philippians 1:27-28

Paul did not hold back. Verse 27 is compelling, but when you add 28, it adds insight.

Philippians 1:27-28 (NASB)

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one Spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

Just take a second to let that sink in… Paul defines the conduct we should all strive to meet and tells us not to be alarmed by our opponents.  If we can do these things, it is a sign of their destruction and our salvation. This kind of guidance was not limited to the Philippians.

Other Examples

Colossians one is another.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NASB) 

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians is another.

Ephesians 4:1-7 (NASB)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

There are more, but I think you get the idea.  The Lord’s desire told through Paul is that we strive to be worthy of walking with Him.

Humility leaves no room for pride unless it is pride in the Lord.  There is no example where we approach God filled with pride.  There are a number of examples that impact me, but today, I have two.

Humility

Humility is an essential part of walking with God.  The examples are some of the most beautiful passages in God’s Word.  I am always humbled when I read them. The first is from Philippians.

Philippians 2:1-11 (NASB)

1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What better example can be given; in my mind, there is none.  There is nothing as beautiful as the humility of Jesus. There is no better example to strive to meet.  I am awe-struck, but one example from the Old Testament equally touches my heart in Micah.

Micah 6:6-8 (NASB)

6 With what shall I come to the LORD

And bow myself before the God on high?

Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,

With yearling calves?

7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,

In ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

That, too, is amazing. Micah speaks of sacrifice, even the sacrifice of children, but no sacrifice will fulfill the desire of our Lord.  It is not any form of sacrifice of things, but to be just, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.  It is to sacrifice our pride.

Closing Thoughts

This little thought began out of a simple devotional and meandered through a question about being worthy of the Gospel; being worthy of Jesus.  But ultimately, I was reminded that my efforts are to simply pursue God recognizing that I cannot do it on my own.  I need the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to submit to him, and that is an ongoing process.  I like how Paul speaks of it in Philippians.

Philippians 3:12-16 (NASB)

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

I press on.  I give thanks in all circumstances. It is not always easy, but with the example of Jesus and followers such as Paul my load is light.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray that I might, in all circumstances, cling to you.  Lord, it is “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.*” Please, Father, let me not forget that and help me hold fast to you in humble service, in Jesus name, Amen.

*Philippians 4:11-13 (NASB)