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.
Philippians 2:3-4
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.Matthew 5:3-6
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Romans 12:16 NLT
What does it mean to imitate the humility of Christ this advent season?
Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.
G.K. Chesterton
In his book, The Everlasting Man, G.K. Chesterton paints a uniquely humble image of the first Christmas saying:
The second half of human history, which was like a new creation of the world…begins in a cave…it was a cave used as a stable by the mountaineers of the uplands about Bethlehem, who still drive their cattle into such holes and caverns at night. It was here that a homeless couple had crept underground with the cattle when the doors of the crowded caravanserai had been shut in their faces; and it was here beneath the very feet of the passerby, in a cellar under the very floor of the world, that Jesus Christ was born.
This image is a powerful reminder that God has always chosen to use the lowly, meek, and discarded for His purposes while exceeding human expectations in the process. He chose Abram and Sarai when they were past childbearing age, He chose Jacob, the spirited and deceptive younger brother, and He brought Joseph up out of the pit and raised him up to second-in-command in Egypt, thereby preserving all nations through the famine (Gen. 41:57).
God shows us what is important to Him by blessing those whom society has labeled as “less than”. Theirs is not a passive humility proclaimed through empty words, but a quiet humility demonstrated through uncommon actions - recognizing God’s sovereignty and their own shortcomings, seeking to live peaceably with their enemies, befriending the outcast, and being truthful. And when they are rewarded, they do not lord their status over others, but instead use it to bless others.
The anticipated joys and burdens of Christmas sometimes lead us to entertain a sense that we are entitled to the peace, joy, and stuff that the season is supposed to promise. In these moments, we can rationalize ignoring the needs of others so that just one Christmas can go according to plan. But God offers a different way to be human, as Paul says, where He is “reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:21). Reconciliation required Christ to humble Himself and give up His place in heaven to come down and live among His creation that the world might have life. If humility and reconciliation are the methods by which the King of Kings has chosen to spread His message, how much more are these expected of us? As Chesterton writes, there is, in the image of Jesus born in a cave under the earth “the touch of a revolution, as of the world turned upside down.”
Consider…
Are there ordinary people and places God has laid on your heart that need your attention this Christmas?
How can this advent be a time set apart for serving others and sharing the good news of reconciliation?
