Humility

Colossians 3:12 - Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering

Humility

In Greek:
Humility – Tapeinofrosuvnh “tap-i-nof-ros-oo’-nay”
1. Having a humble opinion of one’s self.
2. A deep sense of one’s littleness.
3. Modesty.
Humble – Tapeinoo “tap-i-no’-o”
1. To behave in an unassuming manner.

Story of Job - There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. This man was the greatest of all the people of the East. Satan says to God, “You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land, but, if You destroyed all that Job has, he would curse You to Your face!” So Job loses everything, eventually his health, as well, but never curses God. However, God does say something to Job.

Read Job 38: 2 – 3. How would those words from the mouth of God make you feel? I would feel insignificant, terrified, and stupid. What did Job say to cause this reaction from God?

Read Job 31: 4 – 6, 11, and 35. What does Job want?

Read Job 40: 11 – 12. What does God say?

Read Job 42: 1 – 6. What is Job’s response to God’s questions?

After Job humbles himself before the Lord, God restores Job’s losses. God gave Job twice as much as he had before. All his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Job was blessed even more than in the beginning. Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations, and when Job died, he died old and full of days.

What is the opposite of humility? What is pride? In Greek:
Pride – Ajlazoneiva “al-ad-zon-i’-a”
1. A disrespectful and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power
and resources and disgracefully hates and breaks divine laws and
human rights.

Pride is the root of all sin. When we sin, we are saying to God that we think our way is better than His way. We think we can use our power to fix things.

Read Matthew 6: 25 – 34. What is Jesus saying here?

Read John 15:5. What can we do with our own power? Apart from God, we can do nothing.

Read Philippians 4:13. What can we do with God’s power? Anything is possible.

Matthew 10: 32 – 33. How do we gain access to God’s power? We need to confess God to men.

Read Philippians 2: 3 – 4. What is Paul saying here? What are some ways we can acknowledge God to men on a daily basis?

Read Philippians 2: 5 – 11. How did Jesus become one of us? What did Jesus allow to happen? Why? Did Jesus look out for His own interests?

We have to realize how small our interests are, and to put God’s interests first in our lives. We realize how much we have to rely on God and not on ourselves.

Read Matthew 5: 3 – 10. If we do not humble ourselves and change our interests to God’s interests, how much of this list can we accomplish? If we look out for ourselves, how will we ever be persecuted for God?

Joseph went through some hard times. His brothers beat him and sold him into slavery. He was thrown in prison, but innocent of his crime. From prison, he was able to attain favor with the ruler, and was second in command. Due to his dreams, he saved food for the coming famine. His brothers and father have to come to the country, because it is the only country with food. Joseph recognizes his brothers, and, after he helps them, they are afraid.

Read Genesis 50: 15 – 21. What did the brothers do? What was Joseph’s reaction?

They humble themselves in front of him, but Joseph does not use this against them.

This is a forecast for the future.

We beat on God. We slapped Him in the face. We told Him love was not the way. We crucified Him on a cross. But when we seek Him, when we seek His forgiveness, when we seek His righteousness, when we need Him, God, the awesome God, in a way only He can, gives us what we ask of Him. We have to humble ourselves to Him. He will provide food during the famine. He will provide for all of us who seek Him.