Humility

   Oh, how few Christians make humility the object of great loving and how little it’s preached. Yet in Luke 18:14, we find this statement: “Everyone that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.”

   You know, so many times I’ve thought of this little illustration, of a young preacher. When ascending a platform to preach, he was quite sure of himself, and regarded his sermon as something that was going to be quite a good deal. He had put a great deal of thought into it and he had some well-prepared notes, and he was quite sure he was going to make a very good impression on the audience and folks would tell him afterwards what a fine sermon that was.

   So he ascended the steps of the platform with his head held high in considerable pride and self-assurance — there wasn’t much need of heavy leaning on the Holy Spirit, he was so sure of himself. But you know, when he got to preaching he couldn’t get his stride. He stumbled and fumbled and he lost his thought at times, and he didn’t feel the anointing of the Lord. So, when he’d finished, he came down quite different than he had gone up. His head was hanging low, and as he passed a faithful old elder sitting on the front seat, the elder touched his arm and whispered to him: “Oh son, had you gone up the way you came down, you could have come down, the way you went up.”

   Oh, external teaching and preaching can’t give humility, it must be the Holy Spirit of God. How much there can be of even active and earnest religion, and yet not Christ-like humility. Grace of humility is surely scarce.

By Virgina Brand Berg