Urban Leadership Collective: Get Low

Rich Perez is the pastor of Christ Crucified Fellowship in (Washington Heights) New York City.

“My soul takes boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad” As a native New Yorker it’s tough seeing others get the glory or recognition that you would like to be getting. Humility is not the cup we often, if at all, drink. If we are entirely honest, we’d admit that we want as many “likes” on our statuses as the next person. We want as many following up on us and we want as many re-tweeting our self – proclaimed clever and witty statements on Twitter.

How difficult, then, is it to truly and altogether be glad for another’s success and accomplishments? Not merely being glad, but to rejoice and celebrate someone else and their glory? If you sit and think, it’s quite difficult. This is the challenge of humility. This is the challenge the Bible sets before us. In fact, Biblical humility challenges us to actually boast in Jesus and his accomplishment on the cross. You know, it’s interesting to hear this word boast used in this way simply because it’s a word that is most times, if not always used in relation to oneself and one’s own accomplishments. And so, in order to boast in an accomplishment realized by someone other than oneself is to do two things – one, view oneself and any acheivements as far less than ultimate. Secondly, identify yourself closely with the one realizing the accomplishment. This might be what God tells us through a guy named Paul in Galatians 2:20, “ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This is to subject yourself and the greatest of your accomplishments under Jesus and his one accomplishment on the cross; to find the essence of your joy and your boasting in someone not yourself, but in Jesus. Counting another as more significant.

This is humility!

This seems to be also very difficult. But where is the encouragement, yet, where is the strength to live it? Philippians 2: 5 – 8 gives us the answer. Jesus. Be encouraged that God does not command us to this kind of radical humility with an utter and personal disconnect to how it looks and how it feels but He is the same God that first demonstrated it to us. Jesus is everything yet He became nothing that others may be made children of God.

You can follow Rich on Twitter @RichPerez729

Chad Horton
Chad Hortonhttps://rapzilla.com
Chad Horton has been in the music business since 2000 with a focus on digital distribution, streaming, playlisting, and social media marketing. Chad is currently a Partnership Producer at hi5.agency working with clients such as Blizzard Entertainment, Google Pixel, and more. Chad also owns and operates Rapzilla.com. Originally from Northern California, Chad became a San Diego resident in 2004 where he currently resides with his wife and children.
RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular