Insights from A. Murray's "Humility" chapter 3

Humility in the life of Jesus -
I am among you as he that serveth. Luke 22:27

The author calls me to reflect on the statements that demonstrate Jesus' total humility (nothingness) before the Father and before people -

• I am nothing; the Father is all.
• It is not I; I am nothing.
• I can of mine own self do nothing...
• I seek not mine own glory...
• I seek not my own will. I do nothing of myself...

If I believe that "my attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5), I need to confront the following -

• Am I willing to develop the habit of seeing myself as nothing so that God may be all?
• Am I committed to use God's grace moment by moment to imitate His humility?
• Is my deepest desire to become more and more able to say -

I can of mine own self do nothing...

I seek not my own glory (agenda, interests...)

I seek not my own will. I do nothing of myself...

A. Murray's following paragraph in his book "Humility" chapter 3 is a call to see Christ's glorious humility as something we must admire and desire above all else -

"Brother or sister, are you clothed with humility? Look closely at your daily life. Ask Jesus. Ask your friends. Ask the world. And begin to praise God that there is opened up to you in Jesus a heavenly humility that you have hardly known, and through which a heavenly blessedness (which you possibly have never yet tasted) can come into you."

Last Saturday I thought I had the right to have the day to myself. I had my own agenda planned out, nothing bad, just my own thing. While I was getting ready to go out, by His grace I was able to discern a mental question - Today are you about My interests or your own? the answer was obvious, so was my initial resistance to be humble and to obey. By His grace I was able to say yes to His interest to go with me to encourage my next door neighbor. After the visit I was joyous because of the conversation I had with my unbeliever neighbor! What did the Lord remind me that day?

That I am loved and chosen to serve others.

That His grace is present and powerful when I choose to set aside self to imitate His attitude.

That to imitate His attitude (nothingness) in daily living, we all need daily encouragement and accountability. I am writing with this purpose in mind.

Next - I will summarize chapters 4 and 5 of "Humility". I don't want to start reading my next book until something practical in my life results from A. Murray's classic work "Humility".