Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV)

      “A woman is sleeping in one of the back bedrooms. I tried to wake her up, but she won’t budge.” These words greeted me upon my arrival at our new building that was now a part of Bridgeport Rescue Mission in Connecticut. We had only just occupied the building for a rough couple of days after taking possession of and securing the premises from a street gang. She was in a backroom isolated from the rest of the rooms; no one knew her name or the reason for her presence at the mission.

A resident of the mission and I made a beeline to the room to confront the stranger. When I opened the door, I noticed a broken window and shattered glass on the bed surrounding our uninvited guest. She was sound asleep.

“What is your name?” I asked my most authoritative voice. Waking from a sound sleep, she replied, “Maria.” Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and then looked at me, confused and nervous.

“Who are you?” she asked. After introducing myself, I told her that the building was now home to a Christian mission that helped men get off the streets and beat their addictions, and I informed her that women were not allowed to stay in a building housing a Christian program for men. We fed her breakfast and sent her on her way.

Later that day, we fed a large group in Washington Park. The park was notorious for drug dealing, crime, and prostitution. As usual, volunteers served the food while I interacted with the men, women, and children waiting for their meals.

After about thirty minutes of serving food, Maria got in the food line to get a plate of food. Then, she walked over to me and shared her story. Without going into all the sordid details, I can tell you that Maria’s story was both depressing and scary. I also learned that her real name was Luz (Maria was her daughter’s name). Earlier that day, when I asked for her name, she lied, fearing I was a cop.

Luz was addicted to both crack/cocaine and heroin. To feed her addiction, she prostituted herself. As you know, addiction can be a deadly and dangerous habit.

Luz was unaware that the gang that once controlled our building was no longer in control. When she ran out of other places to stay, she occasionally slept in one of the rooms. When she found the door locked, she broke one of the windows to gain entry.

She also pridefully told me about her four beautiful children: Maria, Anais, Luis, and Angelina. Because of her addictive lifestyle, she had placed the children with relatives and friends at various locations in the city. I later discovered that the children lived in hazardous and unhealthy settings.

Several days later, in front of our building, I saw Luz get into a fistfight with another prostitute named Janice. Luz’s superior size enabled her to get the best of Janice.

Luz often visited my office to talk. She was always respectful and never behaved out of line. She just needed a sympathetic ear to listen to all her troubles.

The day arrived when Luz asked for help. She wanted to kick heroin, but there was no place for her to go. She needed someone to help her do it cold turkey, so I cordoned off a section of the building and brought my wife in to help.

It was not a pretty sight, but she completed her detox. After a few days, she regained her strength and looked like a new woman.

During this time, our ministry snowballed with people coming to us for help. Men and women lined up to talk with me about Jesus. In my life, I had never seen anything like it. Gang members, addicts, and prostitutes were surrendering to Jesus in large numbers.

The interest was so great that I could not speak personally with everyone, so I asked Tammy to take Luz to one of the back rooms and lead her to Jesus. She was a bit nervous, not sure Luz was ready. “She’s ready,” I confirmed. “They’re all ready. God is at work!”

Tammy took Luz to one of the rooms in the back. Luz was ready. God was already at work in her life. As Tammy explained the Gospel to her, Luz broke down and gave her life to Christ. It was incredible.

The change in Luz was nothing short of miraculous. She invited other women to our mission and hear the story that had changed her life—the story of Jesus. They believed they were beyond love. After all, who could love a prostitute? Jesus could!

Several weeks later, two women arrived at the mission asking for help. Like Luz, they were prostitutes with heroin addictions. We agreed to help, and Luz insisted on caring for them. She cleaned up their vomit, washed their clothes, and wiped the sweat off their faces. She served them.

Luz’s acts of service were the embodiment of humility. She had spent much of her life focused on herself. Her desire for drugs, men, and personal happiness had consumed her life. When she was on the streets, she was full of herself, filled with pride, utterly oblivious to anyone but herself.

When Christ came into her life, it changed everything. It was no longer about Luz but about meeting someone else’s needs. Now it was about cleaning up the vomit of two AIDS-infected hookers who had spent years living under a bridge.

If asked, I am sure Luz could not have provided a proper definition of the word humility. I am not even sure she was aware of the changes in her life due to her newfound relationship with Christ. Luz’s act of service to the two women detoxing was not some bold attempt to grab humility by the tail and subdue it, to make it her own. She was not acting humble; she was humble.

Luz’s relationship with Christ started her on a journey that changed her whole perception of life. Her newfound humility was a response to the work of the Holy Spirit within her. God was in the process of changing Luz to reflect the image of Christ in her life.

THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST

The verses you read at the beginning of this chapter focus on the humility of Jesus, whose actions define perfect humility. If you start anywhere else, your definition will be corrupted by false understandings that reflect our contemporary culture instead of the personality of Christ.

Without digging too deeply into the nature of Christ, we begin by looking at the price Jesus paid to be born. Our verses state:

“He had equal status with God…”

       The birth of Jesus was not the beginning of his life. The Scripture tells us that Jesus was God. Imagine for a moment what things were like for him before he was born. He was:

• The King of kings
• Surrounded and worshiped by adoring angels
• All-powerful
• All-knowing
• The Creator of the universe and everything in it
• Eternally alive, with no beginning or end
• All loving
• Perfect beyond comparison
• In a place without tears, pain, sorrow, or death

These verses say he gave it all up, everything, to be born as a human being.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:6-8 (KJV)

      Jesus’ birth as a human being changed everything. It was the surrender of his position, power, and safety. He went from:

• total security to dependence for survival on an adolescent peasant girl who lived in a remote outpost of the Roman
• total comfort to a roughly fashioned animal feeding trough (manger) as a crib.
• being clothed with majesty to being dressed in strips of cloth.
• full power to the weakness of being born as a baby.

In his life on earth, Jesus’ humility was revealed by his association with the outcast and rejected. His friends included prostitutes, tax collectors, drunkards, and other men and women outside society’s norm. At his death, two convicted thieves were by his side.

He willingly lowered himself to become weak, dependent, and vilified. Yet Jesus was not a victim, carried along by circumstances beyond his control. Although he controlled his destiny, he freely chose hardship and suffering without regard for his reputation or safety.

His humility expressed itself in obedience that led him to the agony of the cross, the ultimate humility for the Creator of the universe. The night before he was crucified, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed:

“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Matthew 26:39 (KJV)

 “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

Matthew 26:42 (KJV)

      Within Jesus was the power to save his life and avoid the public humiliation of the cross.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:8 (KJV)

      Jesus’ choices placed your welfare above his own. His decision to go to the cross is your means of deliverance from the scourge of addiction. His death means a new life and a brand-new world for you. His choice will help you get your life back.

THE IMAGE OF HUMILITY IN YOUR LIFE

Let’s dig deeper into humility by considering these questions:

• What is humility?
• Is it something you can attain by effort?
• How does humility help you defeat addiction?

In our culture, humility is viewed as a personal weakness. Many people believe that humble men and women are punching bags for the powerful. They are perceived as lacking the courage to stand up for themselves and assert their will in the face of adversity or conflict and misrepresented as pathetic, lacking self-confidence, and unable to enforce their will because of low self-esteem.

Dr. Bill Blevins, my New Testament college professor, once shared a definition of humility that has stayed with me. He said,

“Humility is your confession that despite all your talents and abilities, you still need God to make your life whole.”

      C.S. Lewis, a famous Christian author, said in his book Mere Christianity:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

      In previous writings, I spoke about the necessity of discovering and admitting the truth about yourself. In one sense, the opposite of humility is a cover-up; your pride prevents you from facing the truth about who you are. You lie to yourself, effectively covering up the facts and stopping your personal growth right in its tracks.

The first stage of humility is admitting that you need help to defeat ungodliness and unChristlike behavior. Your confession of helplessness is critical to your desire to become a new person. This admission of need is an act of true humility. Refusing to humble yourself and ask for help prolongs your insane lifestyle and increases the chance of permanent damage to your life. Stated another way, pride prevents you from getting your life back; it robs you of your future and sentences you to an endless cycle of relapse and recovery.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)

      Embracing humility unleashes God’s power in your life. When you admit you need God to make your life whole, you set the stage for God’s entrance into your life.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

James 4:10 (KJV)

      Whereas pride keeps you trapped in your old lifestyle, humility opens the door to a new life. Without humility, there is no hope for real and lasting change in your life.

IS HUMILITY SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ATTAIN BY EFFORT?

       The Bible instructs us to pursue humility. In I Peter 5:5-7 (KJV), we read,

“. . . be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

      Humility has three essential parts:

• Your attitude about you
• Your relationship with God
• Your connection with other people

These three points relate to humility, and you can make intentional decisions that will produce humility in your life. I have heard it said that you are no longer humble but proud if you are aware of your humility. Perhaps there is some truth to that. Notwithstanding, the Bible instructs us throughout the Old and New Testaments to humble ourselves. It also promises that God will reward your humility.

YOUR ATTITUDE ABOUT YOU

In Romans 12:3 (KJV), we read:

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

      In your battle to overcome behavior and habits that dishonor Christ, self-confidence is dangerous. Take a realistic assessment of your past efforts to change your life. Even if you could change your behavior, it did not last. Eventually, you reverted to your old habits and ended up returning to captivity and a self-imposed prison.

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a young woman about entering our residential recovery program. Crack/cocaine had taken possession of her life. She spent her nights sleeping on a friend’s couch and eating her meals at my soup kitchen. Life was not working out for her.

My efforts to help her were unsuccessful. She told me she did not need help with her addiction. Several years before our conversation, she had quit using crack without the aid of anyone else. She did it on her own. If she could stop once without help, she could do it again. She thought she could quit anytime she decided to stop.

I tried to explain that her self-help method had not worked. After all, if it had succeeded, why was she back on drugs? It was evident she could not remain drug-free without help; yet despite all the evidence to the contrary, she could not admit her need for help. More than likely, she was not ready to change her life. Obviously, she had not suffered enough.

When your confidence is entirely in yourself, you miss valuable resources and help necessary to succeed. It is essential to understand your limitations. Do not fall victim to the Napoleon Hill quote, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, he will achieve.” At its most basic level, this is untrue. It is nothing more than a positive-thinking mumbo-jumbo. For instance, no matter how much I believe I can play basketball in the NBA, it will never happen. Thinking positive thoughts will never overcome the limitations of my height or lack of skills. Some barriers are impossible to surmount.

People who quote Mr. Hill habitually ignore the context of his statement. Throughout his books, he repeatedly spells out the necessity of aligning yourself with like-minded men and women who can help you achieve your goals. Success is hardly ever a solitary endeavor.

To have the right attitude about yourself means admitting, through words and deeds, that you lack sufficient strength and resources to make Christlike changes in your life. You need help. To be humble means not being too proud to ask for aid when needed. Equally, your pride does not stand in the way of receiving help from someone who offers assistance. Both are conscious decisions that only you can make.

If you continue to believe that you can win the addiction battle without help, you will never win. You will continue to destroy your life. Pursue humility by asking for help.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

John 15:5 (KJV)

      In your pursuit of humility, a connection to God is an indispensable component in the battle to change your life. In John 15:5, Jesus explains that real and lasting change is impossible apart from him. Life change flows from our connection to him.

As you spend time with God, you become more like him in your thinking, actions, and motivations. He changes you from an ungodly person to a person who reflects the image of Christ. He forms you into a godly man or woman who lives on a higher level than before. Self-destructive habits and bad behavior become a terrible memory, a vanquished habit that no longer has the power to bind you to a life filled with disaster and loneliness.

In this context, humility recognizes that you need God to make you whole. Without God, you will not achieve the purpose for which he created you. Left to yourself, you live a counterfeit life of cheap imitations and emptiness. Humility is reaching out to God for help to rebuild your life. Pursue humility by reaching out and connecting with God.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PEOPLE

 “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:26-28

      According to Jesus, greatness is serving others. Relationships should be about the value you add to the lives of the men and women in your life as you seek ways to help them succeed and experience God’s best for themselves.

As stated in my previous blogs, service is one of God’s methods for helping you change your life. Failure to serve others stunts your efforts to transform yourself and become all that God intends for you. Pursue humility by helping others.

No matter how great and valuable you think you might be, without humility, you delude yourself. Humility is the springboard to a new life. It is an open invitation to God and others to help you change. Without humility, you become stuck, reduced to self-effort and personal strength.

CONCLUSION

To understand humility more deeply, study Jesus, whose life is a perfect picture of it. Humility is a process that grows with time. Thankfully, you do not have to be perfectly humble to get help from others or God.

Also, the deeper your connection with God, the humbler your spirit becomes. Open your heart to God, and he will run to meet you. He will not abandon you. Practicing humility will cause God to lift you to a higher place, leaving your old life in the dust—a plague that bothers you no more.