Humility

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 10th of November, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to 1 Peter 5:5:

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 

I read a beautiful little reading this morning in my quiet time by a man by the name of Thomas Champness, and it goes like this: “Is it not one of the great difficulties of church work that we have more officers than men?” How true is that? “We need more of the rank and file who are willing to march anywhere and to do the lowliest of tasks. We shall succeed in doing greater things when all are willing to be subjects. It is the bayonet rather than the gold braid which is needed when the enemy is to be subdued. “

You know, Count Zinzendorf was the founder of the Moravian Movement, an incredible missionary movement, and John Wesley, the great English preacher, who by the way, had a Master of Theology degree from Oxford University. He wanted to learn more and went across to Germany, to Count Zinzendorf’s farm, hoping to be taught, and you know what Count Zinzendorf did? He put Wesley to work in his garden. Wesley was most put out and he stayed there for a long time. Humility is what we need in the Kingdom of God.

William Duma, that wonderful Zulu preacher, was invited to Zambia in the early days. He was to preach at a conventional Baptist Church where you come in at the back and walk down the aisle to the pulpit in the front. 9 o’clock arrived and there was no preacher and they were looking everywhere, and the pastor thought, “I better pull out a sermon because he is not coming.” Then they heard a little knock. It was at the backdoor where the servant comes in on a Monday morning to sweep out the church and the pastor went through the curtain to the back, opened the door and there was the man of God. Humility!

Of course, the greatest example of all is our beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ, who was a foot-washer. Let’s be feet washers today.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.