Humble Yourself Under the Mighty Hand of God...

I have just finished reading HUMILITY: the path to divine growth and true nobility by Andrew Murray. It is a really good book. I definitely recommend reading it. He brings out some very interesting points, and it got me thinking a lot about how I think about myself way too much. One thing that he emphasized over and over again was:

HUMILITY IS “THE SENSE OF ENTIRE NOTHINGNESS, WHICH COMES WHEN WE SEE HOW TRULY GOD IS ALL, AND IN WHICH WE MAKE WAY FOR GOD TO BE ALL.”

Here are some quotes that I found quite interesting, as well as saddening as I see my failings, and that provoked a lot of thought while I was reading:

“Our one need is to study and know and trust the life that has been revealed in Christ as the life that is now ours. It waits for our consent to gain possession and mastery of our whole being.” Page 19

“If humility is the root of the tree, its nature must be seen in every branch, leaf and fruit. If humility is the first, the all-inclusive grace of the life of Jesus, the secret of His atonement – then the health and strength of our spiritual life will entirely depend upon our putting this grace first, too. We must make humility the most important thing we admire in Him, the thing we ask of Him, the one thing for which we sacrifice all else.” Page 20

“It is even so with our humility. It is easy to think we humble ourselves before God. Yet, humility toward others will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real. It will be the only proof that humility has become our very nature, that we actually, like Christ, have made ourselves of no reputation.” Page 43-44

“The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others praised and himself forgotten, because in God’s presence he has learned to say with Paul, I am nothing (2 Cor. 12:11). He has received the spirit of Jesus, who pleased not Himself and sought not His own honor, as the spirit of his life.” Page 47-48

“Let the discovery of the lack of this grace stir us to larger expectation from God. Let us look on every brother or sister who tries or vexes us as God’s means of grace. Let us look on him or her as God’s instrument for our purification, for our exercise of the humility Jesus, our life, breathes within us.” Page 50-51

“Let us take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart. If we are but willing to stoop to Him, as He has stooped to us, He will yet stoop to each one of us again, and we will find ourselves equally yoked with Him.” Page 91

And some Bible passages Andrew Murray referred to:

“How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” John 13:14

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 6:38