In his detailed description of love in I Corinthians 13 Paul moves from telling us that love is patient and kind to telling us what love is not. “Love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek it’s own, is not provoked, thinks no evil”. The common denominator in each of these things that love is not is pride. It is pride that causes on to be filled with envy or jealousy, to parade and puff oneself up, to behave rudely, seek his own way and to be easily irritated as well as keeping records of the wrongs of others. There is no pride found in love because there is no pride found in God.
The Bible tells us clearly that Jesus “Humbled Himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused His death–death on a cross.” Everything about Jesus’ life has been marked by humility. He created us, even though He knew we would choose sin and cause Him to redeem us. He became a man when He had been the Creator and sustain-er of man. He took sin on Himself even though He not only knew no sin but was in essence the opposite of sin. Revelation refers to Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, meaning that He chose to humble Himself for our salvation even as He was creating the world. When Adam sinned he did not only invite death into his life, he invited the death of Jesus to save us from our sins.
Jesus is humble and faithful, He has chosen to treat us as a treasure, to value us above Himself and to give Himself for us. Our response to the humility of God must be to walk in humility as well. Because God treasures us and gave His life to save us, we must burn with a desire to treasure Him and give ourselves for Him. This is not an attempt to gain God’s love and attention but a response to having His love and attention. Pride tries to prove worth, humility accepts worth and attempts to give value to others. God is not proud, love is not proud, I pray today that the Church would not be proud. May we walk in the humility of Jesus and trust our Father to be glorified through us and for salvation to be shed abroad because Jesus has been willing to be laid low.