The Joy and Freedom Found in Humility
In this interview, Jeff Colon teaches us about the importance of humility, it's central role in the lives of those who wish to follow Christ and the joy that comes from embracing it.
Mike: We're going to begin a series on humility, a completely foreign idea in our American culture. We're raised in America to be proud, but we know that one of the defining aspects of being a Christian is humility. I want to begin by asking you this question, why humility? Why are we looking at this subject today?
Jeff: As God has dealt with me over the years, I've seen in my own life a greater need for it, and it’s a character trait Jesus taught His disciples a lot about. We read a lot about it in Scripture and it’s closely tied with the word love. Humility is a servant’s attitude. And those who have really given up their own will to submit it to another’s understands how much they are in need of God. I want Jesus to be displayed more in my life, so the subject of humility has been pressed upon my heart lately and I'm just excited about the whole concept of humility.
Mike: I want to start off this discussion looking into what you believe would motivate someone to want to be humble.
<pull-quote>Humility gives me hope as a sinner that if I take my rightful place, God will make a way for me to come to the place where He is everything to me. <pull-quote><tweet-link>Tweet This<tweet-link>
Jeff: It all starts in Genesis, where we see that we were created out of the dust from the ground. God breathed into our nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. I see this as a picture of humility that shows me that I cannot even have life without God. This in of itself motivates me to take my rightful place before Him.
Then, there is the obvious fact that we fell from our place with God. Humility gives me hope as a sinner that if I take my rightful place, God will make a way for me to come to the place where He is everything to me. It gives me hope as a sinner and it strengthens me as one of His children. It gives me strength because it teaches me that as I get into my rightful place, I have the grace of God there to help me and give me what I do not have.
Mike: What are some of the misconceptions regarding the subject of humility?
Jeff: I've often used the phrase, especially when I was in my sin that God is just using this sin of mine to humble me. That sometimes is what we believe. Really that's not right, because then I might argue that I should keep on sinning so that I can grow in humility. That certainly contradicts what Paul says in Romans. The greatest humbling is when we are forgiven of our sin and get to stand in awe of the grace of God.
Mike: This idea of humility certainly is not something we naturally find in ourselves or that we find in the culture around us, so how do we even begin to grasp what humility really is?
Jeff: As fallen creatures, it's hard for us to have a right understanding of it, but I'm so thankful that Jesus is our example of humility. As we look in the Scriptures at how Jesus lived His life, how He stepped out of glory, humbled Himself, and depended on the Father, then we can learn what true humility is.
Mike: In our culture, I think men often cringe at the thought of being humbled.
Jeff: Right. And what I'm finding is that's where my joy comes from. That's where my strength comes from. As I said earlier, Jesus is our example. When we look at Jesus, well, He had joy. It wasn't humiliating for Jesus to step out of glory and to humble Himself and become a servant of all. It was a joy for Him to go to the Cross, and it was a joy for Him to serve and glorify the Father as well. Humility is where His strength came from, so it's really something to be admired and longed for.
Mike: Jesus was a servant and when we look at a servant, we see that a servant finds great joy in serving His master.
Jeff: That's where a servant finds pleasure in life. It's what they were created for, and we were created for God. That's where we'll find our greatest pleasure, when we come into our rightful place before Him.
Mike: You've been in ministry for quite a while. When you look at people in ministry in general, do you find that there's an understanding of humility or a great need for more of it?
Jeff: As I’ve been around the country to different ministries, I’ve seen a lot of different aspects of the Christian life. You hear about faith, consecration, prayer, but you don't hear humility talked about a whole lot as something to be sought after. But I believe it is one of the core things we should be seeking after, especially if Jesus emphasized it to His disciples time after time. Unfortunately, sometimes we're pursuing holiness but neglecting humility and I know for myself when I've done that it only served to turn me into a pharisee. It is so easy to become self-focused, so humility is the place that we want everything in our life to flow out of.
