Better Attitudes - A Deeper Dive
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
message recap
This week, we continue our sermon series, Better, by looking at our attitudes. More specifically, we consider how humility gives us wisdom and helps us develop spiritually.
Since the Super Bowl was played on Sunday, we begin this week’s message with an illustration of humility from the NFL. By all accounts, Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions was one of the NFL’s greatest players and one of the most humble. Sanders was notable for his lack of touchdown celebrations. While other players participated in highly scripted and over-the-top shenanigans in the end zone, Sanders would quietly return the ball to the official and walk off the field. He always let his on-field actions do the talking.
Barry Sanders wasn’t driven by fame, money, records, or even to feed his ego. He played for ten seasons, but when there was no more passion, there was no reason to go on. Despite being so close to breaking the all-time NFL rushing record, Sanders retired because, as he said, records weren’t the motivator.
The world places athletes, performers, actors, and celebrities on pedestals. Adulation feeds their egos, and pride can often replace humility. “Just happy to be here doing what I’m passionate about” is replaced with “Hey, look at me - look at how good I am!” It’s been this way for a very long time. Of course, there are exceptions. We can certainly point to celebrities and others who live under the microscope of public scrutiny who are generous and giving people.
But in the past few years, social media has changed who can be in the public eye. All of us have access to tools and platforms that make self-promotion easy. A new subcategory of celebrity status, the so-called “influencers,” is emerging from platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Having a viral video leads to more followers, which leads to more exposure and the belief that the world suddenly revolves around ME. With the phones we carry around with us everywhere we go, we have the opportunity to be the stars of our own movies. And the world is encouraging us to do that. Social media in and of itself is not the problem. The way we use it and our motives can be. Humility is an attitude of the heart.
By definition, humility is having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s importance. Having humility doesn’t mean minimizing or apologizing for our God-given talents. It means not placing ourselves above others because of those talents. Humility is not a passive trait. It’s an active choice - a deliberate decision to remain grounded.
We learn through scripture that humility is the cornerstone of wisdom and spiritual growth. We can turn to the Book of Proverbs, one of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, to understand the importance of humility in our spiritual lives. Consider this passage from Proverbs 22:4: “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” We are rewarded for our humility but pay a price when we become prideful. Proverbs 11:2 warns, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
As Christians, humility means keeping our eyes on Christ and exalting what HE has done, while pride means keeping our eyes on ourselves and our accomplishments.
Some equate humility to weakness. They may confuse humility with humiliation - the act of causing another to lose confidence, self-respect, or dignity. The two terms share a common root but couldn’t be more opposite. The world doesn’t view humility as a strength. But the truth is, in a world obsessed with self-promotion, it takes a great deal of courage and confidence to be honest about our abilities and our limitations.
We can find examples of humility all around us - Barry Sanders, for instance - but Jesus is the ultimate example. In this week’s scripture, Paul writes to the Philippians,
“8 And being found in appearance as a man, he [JESUS] humbled himself, by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!”
Jesus wasn’t weak, docile, repressed, or unambitious. He wasn’t concerned about what others thought of him. He humbled himself to the cross out of pure obedience to his father.
In chapter 13 of the Gospel of John, we find one of Jesus’ most notable acts of humility that occurred during the Last Supper:
“4 So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
Washing someone else’s feet was often the job of a servant. Given the condition of most people’s feet in Biblical times, it makes sense that this was a true act of humility. Jesus never once said, “Since I’m God, you should wash my feet!” Instead, he acted as a servant and washed theirs. Jesus understood and taught that humility, not self-serving pride, creates greatness. Humbleness - wanting to serve more than be served - leads to genuine goodness and peace.
The opposite of humility is pride. When we talk about pride, we have to be careful with semantics. Being proud of ourselves is ok. Having self-confidence is not a sin. We’re not sending our children down the wrong path when we encourage them to take pride in their work. When pride turns into arrogance, the trouble begins. It was pride that led Adam and Eve to fall. They thought they knew better by giving in to temptation. Pride is an attitude of self-sufficiency - we don’t place God above all else. Instead, we consider ourselves higher, wiser, and better.
Throughout the ages, humans have struggled with pride and suffered the consequences. Think about the story of the Tower of Bable. The people were boastful about what they could accomplish. They thought their plan was better than what God had for them. They wanted to be as great as God and get themselves into heaven. And what happened? God put an end to their plan. He confused their language, so they could no longer understand each other. Ultimately, he scattered them all over the earth. They were just a little too full of themselves, so God intervened.
Since the beginning of the new year, we’ve focused on the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As stated earlier, humility is the cornerstone of wisdom and spiritual growth. Here are a few ways humility helps the fruit flourish:
Love - Humility opens our hearts to love unconditionally without seeking anything in return.
Joy - When we put our pride aside and instead embrace humility, we find true joy in life's simple pleasures.
Peace - By letting go of our need to control and dominate, we create space for peace to grow in us.
Patience - When we humble ourselves before God and others, we learn to wait with grace and endurance, trusting in God's timing and providence.
Kindness - When we humble ourselves, we become more attuned to the needs of those around us, seeking opportunities to extend a helping hand and offer words of encouragement.
Goodness - When we humble ourselves before God, we align our hearts with his goodness and righteousness.
Faithfulness - Humility anchors our faith, enabling us to persevere through trials and tribulations with unwavering devotion.
Gentleness - When we humble ourselves, we become gentle in our words and actions, seeking to build others up rather than tear them down.
Self-control - Humility empowers us to exercise restraint and discipline, overcoming temptations and living lives that honor God.
For today, let’s adjust our attitudes to be more grateful and recognize the blessings surrounding us. Let’s show appreciation for those who help us and make a difference in our lives. Let’s practice humility as a pathway to growth and self-improvement. Instead of seeking validation from external sources, let’s find fulfillment in our actions and impact on others. And finally, let’s be open to learning from our mistakes and shortcomings, knowing that humility paves the way for wisdom and personal development.
Lent - A Season of Humility
It’s hard to think of a more appropriate time to discuss humility. We are entering the season of Lent, which is a season characterized by humility. We often think of Lent as a time for giving something up - usually, something we might indulge in a bit more than we should. But Lent can also be a time of taking on something we probably should do more of - especially spiritual disciplines we’re sometimes prone to neglect.
No matter if we decide to give something up, do more of something good for us, or both, the season of Lent lends itself to us returning to a place of humility. In Luke chapter 18, Jesus tells a parable that drives home what true humility looks like:
“10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”
During this season of Lent, give up your will and embrace the will of God. Have the mindset of Christ and humble yourself to fulfill the plan God has for you. And though you experience pain and possibly suffering, hold fast to the truth that Jesus is indeed Lord.