Humility & Exaltation

 

    Humility is a modest view of yourself.  It is a Biblical characteristic of submission to God and honoring His Glory over your own.  Exaltation is a feeling or a state of extreme happiness.  It can come from elevating your rank, power, or perception in the world.  So, how do these go together?  They are opposites.  The only way it would work is Jesus.

    Be encouraged through the unity of the Christian Community.  You are united by the Holy Spirit through salvation in Jesus.  His love is the source of your comfort and fellowship with other people that need the same thing.  He expresses His love expressed in tenderness and compassion.  He teaches us how to be that through caring for the people around us.

    To live out Christianity, there is no room for selfish ambition or conceit.  It is a lifestyle of humility and finding the strength in it.  As you become stronger, you are able to help other people.  Only the strong can hold up the people that are falling apart.  

    It takes that strength and an internal peace to be able to genuinely care and put the interest of other people at the same level as caring for yourself.  It is not about self-denial all the time for other people.  It is more about embracing more without losing something you need.

    Humility is a defining Christian attitude.  It is led by the desire to be obedient to God in all things, including taking care of people.  The key is that it is about directing them to God and not about being a people pleaser.  A people pleaser will only be drained and that is not strength.  Instead think of it as picking up the slack where a position is not filled and you are just making sure it gets filled.

    At the same time look at how Jesus lived.  He emptied himself to be a servant for all people.  He humbled himself to be obedient to God to the point of death.  He did know that he would return, but that does not take away from what he endured.  He felt every second of pain just like you or me would.  However, it was his obedience that exalted him above all other human to ever exist.  He deserves our glory because he did not consider his own interest over our need.

    For a Christian, obedience is a part of you.  It is not for show.  It is not to be the teacher's pet.  It is not to be elevated in the world.  It is a form of worship.  Obedience gives the Christian soul a heart beat.  It gives life to service as you bring glory to God.  That is why we need to be obedient without complaining or arguing over minuet details that point out your desire means more to you than obedience to God.  Focus on being blameless and shine in your purity because it is done in reverence.   

    People will notice that you are a hard worker and have a different attitude than most people.  It may get you exaltation in the world, but be sure to give that attention to you relationship with God.  A benefit of being a Christian can be promotion because of your integrity, but it can also lead to persecution because you highlight other people's inability to do what you do.  It is not intentional, but it can put the spot light on you.  Remember your exaltation comes in Heaven and just live a worthy life where ever you are by living out the Gospel.

Philippians 2