Learning Humility

And a very good morning to you! It is Friday morning, 25th March, the year 2022. And this is your friend, Angus Buchan with a thought for the day.

“Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"

John 13:8

Do you know that statement was very pride-filled? That statement nearly cost Peter His whole ministry because right after that, Jesus said: "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5

You see, it is all about Him. Do you remember that hymn that we used to sing years ago? It goes something like this:

“All of me and none of Him” - the first verse.
The second verse - “Some of me and some of Him”
And then the last verse - “None of me, all of Him.”

You see, this pride starts from when you are very young. Have you ever seen a little boy, maybe two or three years old trying to tie his shoelaces? I have many grandsons and often you want to help them but what do they do? They push your hand away because they wants to do it themselves... until eventually they can’t and then you help them.

Many, many years ago, when I started farming as a young man I used to grow seed maize and it is a very technical crop. You’ve got two varieties growing in the same field. With the one variety you have to pull the flowers out before they pollinate otherwise the company will condemn the crop. I got myself into a very tight spot - I had over a hundred hectares in one block. That was everything I had and the flowers were just coming out so fast I could not get them out in time. The inspectors came to me on a Friday afternoon. They said, “If these fields are not clean by Monday morning, I am very sorry but we will have to condemn you.”

Now, I didn’t know what to do, I was a young man - I had limited funds. I was desperate and I knew that I could not get those flowers out by the Monday morning. What did I do? Well, I had to humble myself, I really had to humble myself. I phoned a neighbour, an extremely successful farmer who employed hundreds and hundreds of workers, I said to him: “Can you please help me because I cannot manage.” Do you know, that gentleman, I will never forget what he did as long as I live, arrived here Saturday morning. I think he had three or maybe four lorries full of staff - hundreds of people. He had brought water so they had water to drink. He had two-way radios with his foreman and they went into my field and cleaned it up.

It was amazing, absolutely amazing! If I hadn’t have asked him I wouldn’t have a farm today. A couple of weeks later, I phoned him and I said, “I am still waiting for the invoice to pay you.” He said, “What invoice?” - What a man, hey? Sometimes we have to go through hard times to be taught humility. Paul says in Romans 5:3-4:

“…but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

I have never met a man yet, worth his salt, that has not been through fiery trials. Today, ask Jesus and He will give it to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Have a wonderful day, Jesus bless you.
Goodbye.