Humility Is a Verb

This is a topic that I have touched on before (The Lies Others Are Told  -  6/4/2019)
....maybe a bit different, some different scripture.  But I feel strongly that it is what I was to write about this week....

📖  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Humility isn't in saying..."Oh, they are better than me".
"I am not the most beautiful, I am not popular."
"I am no good...worthless"
Even just acknowledging that someone can do better isn't really what humility is.

HUMILITY
It is an attitude of the heart,

That moves with empathy

And is acted out in compassion

Jesus did not behave as if He were better than the people He ministered to, as others did.
Click on the link for the account of
📖 The Woman at the Well  John 4:7-30
Here was a woman, who for several reasons was avoided by those who passed judgement on her...thought they were better....maybe because they were born to a different region, made "better" choices, and other reasons I am sure.
Jesus visits with her, even accepts a drink of water from her.
 Jesus, being willing to step in and "consort" with the "undesirable", was living the example of GRACE.
📖 John 8:2-11 Click to read about the adultress.
This woman obviously had gotten herself into a bad situation, one that was going to cost her her life. Jesus didn't look at what she had done or make the judgement call that she wasn't worth the effort.  He stepped up, over that "line" and went right to her...basically stands in the line of fire and says "stop" this treatment. (Which was, mind you, the consequence of the day)
Jesus was seeking MERCY for the girl.

Jesus took humility to an all new level;

📖 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus;

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11

Jesus DID humility....His empathy for people MOVED Him into close proximity with them and His compassion demanded Him to DO something for them... for us....even to die for us!

Empathy, humility is seen, not heard.
It isn't in what we SAY....it is in what we DO!.
Jesus, who had the authority AND the power to condemn those two women, did NOT....He didn't even judge ...He offered them Himself,  and after their encounter with Him He knew they were changed.(at least that is what I see!)
^📖 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,  “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:7:28-29

📖 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”   “No one, sir,” she said.   “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:10-11

WE just need to offer ourselves....our help, our time, our grace, our compassion and then they will see Jesus!  In our obedience to Christ...they will see Him!

We need to remember in doing that it does not mean we agree, or even condone their choices ...but we show them compassion, empathy, respect for this individual that God loves, that Christ died for.
📖  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:9-11
Because HE DID!  He died for everyone of us!

We don't have to like a person's choices, there are people who don't like our choices....
but we have to love them...enough to pray for them.

Because IF we love someone enough to truly pray for them, from the heart out of a Christ-like love, then it is hard to look down on them.  Because we know that Christ doesn't, 

📖 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34

(And I see no better way to end this blog than with the words of Christ Himself!)💗