Walking in the Humility of Christ

Out of any person who ever lived or ever will live, Jesus—when He was on this earth—could have used His power and authority to demand throngs of servants to be at His aid.

He had angel armies stand at attention at His voice. He could have come from heaven to earth with a high and lofty attitude, expecting Himself to be served. He had every right. He is the most holy. He is the most wonderful. He is the most powerful person to ever walk this earth, and He continues to be.

 Jesus Christ, the one who had every right to be high and proud, chose to come on this earth clothed with humility. The Word Become Flesh dwelt among us. He chose to be despised and rejected. This is humility.

 Jesus said it Himself: “I did not come to be served. I am here to serve” (see Matt. 20:28). Many want to be leaders. Many want to be great. But Jesus didn’t lead from a high place in man’s eyes. He led from a low place. He led by servanthood. It’s humorous to me that many times we as ministers, as servants and followers of Christ, feel like we have the right to come in with a lofty attitude when our very Maker and Leader chose to come and to serve.

He led in this way to show that the Kingdom of God was set on a foundation of humility. It was not founded on human strength or human nature’s way of doing things. There was a different way to lead. There is a different way to love. It’s the way of humility. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 Jesus calls us to take and “learn from Him” this same gentleness and humility. We are called as servants of God to clothe ourselves in that same humility. The world may see it as weakness, but humility is true strength in the Kingdom of God.

Kings may refuse to come and send ambassadors and messengers to stand in their place, but not Jesus. Jesus did not stand back and send someone else to do the dirty work. We are His ambassadors and messengers who follow the example that Jesus set. He was there in the middle of it. I once heard a preacher say, “Imagine you were walking down the aisle of a plane and you had the opportunity to sit wherever you want. You had one seat away from everybody with your own space and you had another option squeezed next to a coughing, sickly person. Which place would you choose?”

Obviously we would choose the empty seat for our own comfort. But Jesus? Jesus always takes the seat next to the one nobody wants to sit by. That, my friends, is humility, and that is an act of love. He consistently inclines His ear to the lowly. He sees the invisible. He always placed Himself in the middle of the voiceless, the hurting, the outcast, and the sick. When nobody else would touch a leper, He was drawn to them. He wasn’t worried about His reputation or what people would say about Him. Philippians 2:7-8 says Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (NKJV).

When He was leading His disciples, He led them in humility. Remember this story?

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 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 (John 13:2-5).

Later in the account Jesus says to His disciples:

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:12-15).

Jesus, the Servant Leader, showed the disciples the pattern they were to take in their leader[1]ship. I believe He is asking us the same question as leaders: “Do you understand what I have done for you? Do you understand the magnitude of servant leadership?” With every right to be high and lofty, He chose lowliness. So should those who represent Him.

I believe when God brings people around you as a leader, it is not an opportunity to be placed on a pedestal; it only means you have more responsibility to do the low and humble job of washing their feet. Humility in leadership doesn’t see others as a means to an end (their vision). It constantly is looking for ways to lift up the visions of those around them.

 We’ve seen far too often people in churches and ministries walked all over and discarded as if they don’t matter. It’s heartbreaking. A servant preacher will honor the gifts God has brought to the table and will listen to what those gifts are saying.

Gentleness Is Strength

 Jesus wasn’t afraid to be seen as meek and mild. Surely He had times that called for Him to rise as the Lion of Judah, but He often was seen as a lowly, humble Lamb. That carries a quiet strength to it. There is something to be said about people who have a quiet, enduring strength. It’s a strength that doesn’t need to show off to prove that it is strong. It’s just strong.

 I think about my sister, Rachel. I’ve always admired her strength and faith, yet if you would look at her, you would see she is mild and gentle. She is one of the most servant-hearted, loving individuals you could ever meet. I have seen her walk through some of life’s hardest difficulties, and she does it with that quiet, enduring strength. She is steady. She is meek and mild. She is gentle. And that is what makes her great. I honor her with all my heart and her strength inspires me to be stronger.

That’s what humility does. It encourages others to be strong in that way. To be a leader, it doesn’t mean you have to be the loudest in the room. Sometimes I think that is just a mask to hide weakness and insecurities. You have nothing to prove. Loudness and brashness are not qualities of a strong individual. Making people afraid and intimidated around you is not the sign of a successful leader. It’s the strength of heart that shows who a man or woman really is.

 To host a gentleness of heart in the way you lead is a strength that many may not understand. As a servant preacher, don’t be afraid to be lowly. Don’t be afraid to be meek and mild. Don’t be afraid to have a humble and gentle reputation. Don’t be afraid to be overlooked. As we said in another chapter, the way the Kingdom of God works is not the way human nature works. In the Kingdom of God, gentleness is greatness.

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great (Psalm 18:35 NKJV).

I would also say this: don’t be afraid to lead in the way that God made you. Some people are, by nature, more outspoken and commanding (in a good way, of course!). That’s amazing! That’s truly a gift. When coupled with humility, I believe this is a very powerful combination. Yet some struggle with the title of leadership and are great at being “lowly” but not great at stepping up to what leadership requires. Take upon yourself a courage that comes from God’s grace in your position. Boldness and humility are not opposites. They can work together in a beautiful way and lead in the way Jesus calls us to.

I have often felt inadequate to lead. I never felt like I had the skills to lead. I feel bad when I tell people what to do; I just want to love people and be everybody’s friend. I mean, I remember one time when we had to let someone go at the ministry and, of course, it was my job to talk to them. It went a little something like this: “You’re amazing! You have such a gift. We need to let you go.” It was terribly humorous, to be honest. I was telling this individual how amazing they were, but letting them go at the same time. I’m sure it was very confusing.

There are things I could learn, and I could train to have better leadership skills, that is for sure. But I will take my inadequacies to the Lord and trust in His grace to help me in my weakness. I remember a conversation I had with the Lord when I realized, at the end of the day, I want to be known as a leader clothed with humility.

 At the core of it all, the question is, “Where is my heart?” Instead of striving to be great, I believe God is calling us to be humble.

A Person of Character

 This is another important quality of a servant preacher. We have created an entire culture in which people are promoted based around gifts and talents. Often the issue of character is forgotten or overlooked. And we have seen how, in these moments, when character and integrity are not on the forefront when someone is promoted, the stage and the fame can bring a false sense of security and validation that in the end is destruction.

 It becomes a problem when we focus too much on gifts and not enough on character. Gifts are given. They are simply attributes from God that we receive freely, yet character is something that is our responsibility to steward. Of course, it’s so much easier to focus on what we didn’t work for and foolishly take credit for it, like it came out of our own strength.

The way I see it, our anointings and callings are God’s gifts to us, but our character is something that can be offered to Him. It’s what we can steward and perfect, not in a works-based mentality, but just because it pleases the Lord and makes us qualified ministers of the Gospel. He is not looking for perfection, but a heart toward Him. Romans 5:1-4 says:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

 This shows us that, yes, we have been justified through faith and grace (which is a gift), but there is also a part we play in that. As we continue through suffering, it leads to perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope. That is in our court—to stand in suffering all the way to the finished result of hope. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

When Paul is talking about the qualifications of an elder or a leader in the church, he states the following qualifications:

 1. Blameless

 2. Faithful to his wife

 3. A man whose children believe and are not wild and disobedient

4. Not overbearing

5. Not quick-tempered

6. Not given to drunkenness

7. Not violent

8. Not pursuing dishonest gain

9. Hospitable

10. Loves what is good

 11. Self-controlled

 12. Upright

 13. Holy

14. Disciplined

Do you see how none of these actually have anything to do with someone’s natural gifts, talents, or anointing? This deals with character, the thing that we all have to work for.

 Character is doing the right thing when nobody sees you. The person we are behind closed doors is the person we are. It may be easy to fool others, but the truth is God is not fooled. He sees everything. And living a life of integrity and honesty will keep our lives and hearts safe when the light shines on it. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). Darkness will always be exposed by the light (see Eph. 5:13).

As ministers of the Gospel, we are called to purity and holiness. We are called to character. It’s not from a place of self-righteousness or legalism, but out of a place of love. I live holy because I’m in love with Jesus and it pleases His heart. I live a life of purity not just to say I am pure or boast in my own righteousness, but because it pleases the heart of my beloved.

On New Year’s Eve in 2018, I had a dream from the Lord that was a holy warning, and when I woke up I knew I had to hold it close to my heart. In this dream, I was in a ministry building. As I was standing there, one of the assistants to the minister came to me and I asked her what she was doing. She said, “I need to go destroy part of the building.”

 I asked her, “Why are you doing that?!”

She replied, “That’s what they told us to do.”

The woman left and headed toward the head of the ministry’s office, and when she returned she had mud all over her face, to which I again asked, “What happened? What are you doing?”

Her response to me was this: “I’m destroying things because it’s easy.”

 I was taken aback by her answer. I looked over and where there was once an office, there was mud. Everything was destroyed and mud had taken its place. I immediately looked outside the window and I saw many houses next to each other. At each of these houses, I saw other people destroying their houses and they were turning into mud. I asked, “Why are they doing this!?”

When I asked the question, I knew it was because the people were doing what they saw this ministry doing. I made my way into a room where I began singing a song to the Lord, “You and me together.” As I was singing this, some friends came into the room with long pieces of glass taken from the building, and they began throwing it on the ground, destroying them. Again I asked, “What are you doing?”

They replied, “This is what they’ve told us to do.” So they keep throwing these parts of the building down and destroying it.

I saw a picture of a famous comedian doing a monologue about how Christians were tearing down the very things they built up.

 Then I woke up. Upon waking up, my heart knew immediately this dream was referring to a call to purity and character in ministry. Ministries these days are being built up, but so easily being torn down due to a lack of foundation. We hear men and women of God in scandals and I often ask God, “When did it become okay that our vow before the Lord and character and integrity become nothing?

When did it become okay for our vows and commitments to our spouses to love and cherish them to become less important than our commitment and vow to ourselves to do whatever we feel like doing?” I ask these things not in judgment, but in a holy fear, because it’s something that we all have to daily keep our hearts in check for. When we let go of character and commitment before God, we are on a slippery slope of destroying the very things we built up.

Friend, you may be standing in a place of influence yet have hidden sins that nobody knows about. Maybe you’ve been trusting your position or your anointings to keep you safe in that place. No earthly position is worth your integrity. This is the moment for humility to rise up, ask for forgiveness, let the things in the darkness be evaporated by the light. Life is more important than what man thinks about you. What is important is your heart before the Lord. Don’t be afraid to expose your hidden sins. There is freedom in that. There is forgiveness available to you. It is brave to turn away from the things that bring destruction.

God is calling us to lay our lives before Him in full repentance. He is calling us to have pure hearts before Him. He is calling us to character. He’s given us the gifts. Can we give our character back to Him?

The Servant Missionary

When I first heard the call from God to pack up my life in America and move overseas to Greece, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had heard about missionaries leaving their home country to an unknown land that God had put in their heart, and I greatly admired that. But never, and I mean never in a million years, did I think God would ask me to do that. I had the ministry I started. I’m not sure if He understood that moving away from the “Christian epicenter” would actually hinder the forward movement that I had in my future. Moving would make me come down from that Christian famous ladder I had just barely started to climb on. But then I realized it. This call from God was to me, but it was not for me. It was for Him and for His glory. So if that meant that my life looked different than I had previously imagined, so be it.

 When we truly give our life to Jesus and make Him Lord of our lives, that means we give Him our ideas of what our lives were supposed to look like. Didn’t Paul say that “you are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19)? So I surrendered my idea of what ministry meant and said yes. One of the best  yeses of my life.

I want to share some of the lessons I have learned as I have lived as a foreigner in a promised land from God.