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| Image taken from http://www.independent.co.uk/ |
These were the words of the former Liberal Democrat MP, Chris Huhne. As
he was released from prison today, he repeated his apology. Although he has
only served a quarter of his sentence, it would seem that the former MP has
learnt quite a lot during his time away. Humility may be a part of the lesson.
A dictionary definition of humility is: “having or showing a sense of
lowliness or inferiority, modest”. We are all aware of those who fit the
opposite definition. It is easy to tell people of your good points. Everybody
likes praise, and some people like to sing their own praises! There are plenty
of people who have a high opinion of themselves. The really hard thing is to
admit you were wrong. As the song lyrics say, “sorry seems to be the hardest
word”.
The Bible says quite a lot about humility. James wrote, “Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”. What does this
mean? One of the things that we need to do is to admit that God is right and we
are wrong. When God’s word, the Bible, says that we are sinners – those that
have done wrong – how do we react? Do we protest? Do we try and argue our case
as “good people”? Remember, God can look past the outer show that we put on for
others! God looks right into our heart. He knows us better than anyone. He
knows us for what we are! Plenty of people may look at me and think that I’m a
healthy individual without knowing what’s going on inside.
Am I prepared to be humble? Will I admit that I’m a sinner before God?
This is the first step to blessing. But, having admitted that I’m a sinner, am
I sorry for what I’ve done? Will I turn my back upon my old life and place
faith in Christ to forgive me my sin? These are the key questions in life. It
would be good if we didn’t need to go to prison to learn humility in the
presence of a holy God!
