iii. The importance of humility
A. Humility Vital in Prayer
In order to pray and ask God’s help, of course, we must realize we can’t do it all ourselves. Being a leader is more than just being a boss. It requires humility. Remember how Jay Bell said his father was the best example of Jesus Christ he’d ever seen? Part of that had to be humility, because Jesus was humble.
Some older siblings already have an advantage, if they’re a lot older, but they make too much use of it. We should never try to be the boss just because we’re older.
B. Humility Key to Wisdom
Older usually means wiser, but it doesn’t always. David, for instance, was the youngest of many sons of his father Jesse. And yet, God chose him to be King of Israel. God chose David because he was “a man after God’s own heart.” (Acts 13:22) His son, King Solomon, was incredibly wise. But, he stopped using that wisdom, and made some big mistakes because of it. The Book of Ecclesiastes is full of Solomon’s thoughts, as he tried different worldly thoughts. In the end, after trying everything else, he realized God’s way was the one way that was not “vanity,’ or emptiness.
In a different context, the Bible says some people profess to be wise, and become fools because of it. (Romans 1:22.) That verse is talking about how people ignore the things of God, and think they can do everything themselves, apart from God. If you know Christ as your Savior, you are wiser than most of the world’s people.
However, now that you have been humbled, being older does help a lot. Your mind is more developed than younger peoples’. You know more about the problems that the world has in it. You should know more about how to avoid those problems. You can resist temptation a little better, because hopefully you can avoid impulses better. You may not do that as well as an adult. But, you are probably better than some adults. We’ll talk a lot later about how to avoid temptations.
C. Humility Allows Childlike Faith
There is something you had when you were younger that you need, though. That is childlike faith. Jesus says we must become like a small child in our faith.
The Shunammite woman had lots of it. She needed faitht hat her husband would not stop her from going to see Elisha when her son died. She had faith that God would raise her boy back to life. She had faith that God could do anything.
This is how a child sees the world. When they’re young enough, they think the people who care most for them can hang the stars in the sky. A little child might see a crescent moon, figure it’s broken since it’s not round, and say, “Fix it, Daddy.”
One might say that to you, if you become the spiritual leader.
Now, you won’t be able to fix a broken moon. But, with lots of love, you can mend a broken heart. You can demonstrate that awesome love of Jesus in how you act. And, when you mess up – as we all do – you can show your love by humbly apologizing. Because, as you probably know, kids can tell who is trying to be real, and who isn’t.
And, while you need to keep improving, you will be accepted if you simply go to them and tell them, “We are going to follow God’s Word from now on. I won’t always do what’s right. But, I am going to keep trying. And, I expect you to, also. Because, I love you. And, I want to help you become the best at whatever God made you to be.”
