Embracing True Humility: Freedom Through Self-Forgetfulness

 

Summary

Humility is a profound and liberating virtue, yet it is often misunderstood and difficult to pursue. In our journey towards wisdom, we must recognize that true humility is not about diminishing our talents or achievements but about shifting our focus away from ourselves and towards God and others. C.S. Lewis, in his "Screwtape Letters," illustrates the paradox of humility: the moment we become aware of our humility, pride can creep in. This awareness can make virtues harder to sustain because they should be a natural part of life in the kingdom, not something extraordinary.

Humility is the recognition of reality, acknowledging that we cannot achieve everything on our own. It is the understanding that we are not as strong, smart, or successful as our ego demands, but there is One who can, and we must surrender to Him. This surrender is not a sign of weakness but a path to true freedom. Humility allows us to be open to feedback, to learn, and to grow, while defensiveness and pride lead to stagnation and decline.

The enemy, as Lewis describes, wants us to focus on ourselves, even in our humility, leading to self-contempt and ultimately to cynicism and cruelty. True humility, however, is about self-forgetfulness and recognizing the glory in all of God's creation, including ourselves. It is about rejoicing in our talents and those of others without bias or comparison.

An old rabbinic story humorously illustrates how we can compete even in humility, but true humility is not about thinking less of ourselves; it's about thinking of ourselves less. It is about being aware of God's goodness and the goodness in others, freeing us from the constant need to compare ourselves to others. In this freedom, we find the ability to serve God and others selflessly.

As we walk through our days, let us ask God to liberate us from vanity and comparison, to help us focus on service, and to embrace the freedom that comes with true humility.

Key Takeaways:

1. Humility as Recognition of Reality: Humility is not about diminishing our abilities but recognizing our limitations and surrendering to God, who can achieve what we cannot. This surrender is a path to true freedom and spiritual growth. [04:40]

2. The Paradox of Humility: Becoming aware of our virtues, especially humility, can lead to pride. True humility should be a natural part of life, not something extraordinary, and it requires a focus on God and others rather than ourselves. [02:25]

3. Freedom from Comparison: Humility frees us from the need to compare ourselves to others, allowing us to rejoice in our talents and those of others without bias. This freedom leads to a more fulfilling and selfless life. [08:57]

4. Humility vs. Self-Contempt: True humility is not self-contempt but self-forgetfulness. It involves recognizing the glory in all of God's creation, including ourselves, and focusing on service to God and others. [06:07]

5. The Role of Humility in Leadership: Humility in leadership involves being open to feedback and willing to learn. Defensiveness and pride lead to stagnation, while humility fosters growth and improvement. [04:11]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:25] - The Challenge of Humility
- [00:53] - Humility and Freedom
- [01:14] - C.S. Lewis on Humility
- [02:25] - The Paradox of Virtues
- [03:41] - Humility vs. Defensiveness
- [04:40] - Recognition of Reality
- [05:36] - Focus on God and Others
- [06:34] - Misunderstanding Humility
- [07:30] - The Enemy's Strategy
- [08:11] - Rejoicing in Talents
- [08:57] - Freedom from Comparison
- [09:33] - True Humility Defined
- [10:04] - A Prayer for Humility
- [10:33] - Humility in Practice

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Humility

Bible Reading:
1. Philippians 2:3-4 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
2. James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
3. Romans 12:3 - "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, how does C.S. Lewis describe the paradox of humility in "The Screwtape Letters"? [02:09]
2. What are the consequences of lacking humility in leadership, as mentioned in the sermon? [03:55]
3. How does the sermon define true humility in relation to self-forgetfulness and self-contempt? [06:07]
4. What humorous story was shared in the sermon to illustrate the concept of competing in humility? [09:09]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest that awareness of one's virtues, particularly humility, can lead to pride? [02:25]
2. In what ways does the sermon propose that humility leads to freedom from comparison with others? [08:57]
3. How does the sermon differentiate between humility and self-contempt, and what are the potential dangers of confusing the two? [06:20]
4. What role does humility play in spiritual growth and leadership, according to the sermon? [04:11]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you found yourself comparing your abilities to others. How might embracing humility change your perspective in similar situations? [08:57]
2. Consider a time when you were defensive in response to feedback. How can you practice humility to be more open to learning and growth? [04:11]
3. How can you shift your focus from self-contemplation to recognizing the goodness in others and in God's creation this week? [06:07]
4. Identify an area in your life where you feel the need to achieve or impress others. How can you surrender this to God and find freedom in humility? [04:40]
5. Think of a talent or ability you have. How can you rejoice in it without falling into the trap of pride, as described in the sermon? [08:11]
6. How can you incorporate the practice of humility into your daily routine, especially in your interactions with others? [09:33]
7. What specific steps can you take to avoid the enemy's strategy of self-focus and instead focus on serving God and others? [07:30]

Devotional

Day 1: Humility as a Path to Freedom
Humility is not about diminishing our abilities but recognizing our limitations and surrendering to God, who can achieve what we cannot. This surrender is a path to true freedom and spiritual growth. True humility involves acknowledging that we are not as strong, smart, or successful as our ego demands, but there is One who can, and we must surrender to Him. This surrender is not a sign of weakness but a path to true freedom. Humility allows us to be open to feedback, to learn, and to grow, while defensiveness and pride lead to stagnation and decline. By embracing humility, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God, allowing Him to work through us in ways we could never achieve on our own. [04:40]

"For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself striving to achieve on your own? How can you surrender this area to God today and trust in His strength?


Day 2: The Paradox of Humility
Becoming aware of our virtues, especially humility, can lead to pride. True humility should be a natural part of life, not something extraordinary, and it requires a focus on God and others rather than ourselves. C.S. Lewis, in his "Screwtape Letters," illustrates the paradox of humility: the moment we become aware of our humility, pride can creep in. This awareness can make virtues harder to sustain because they should be a natural part of life in the kingdom, not something extraordinary. By focusing on God and others, we can cultivate a humility that is genuine and selfless, avoiding the trap of pride that comes from self-awareness. [02:25]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways do you find yourself becoming prideful about your humility or other virtues? How can you shift your focus to God and others to cultivate genuine humility?


Day 3: Freedom from Comparison
Humility frees us from the need to compare ourselves to others, allowing us to rejoice in our talents and those of others without bias. This freedom leads to a more fulfilling and selfless life. True humility is about self-forgetfulness and recognizing the glory in all of God's creation, including ourselves. It is about rejoicing in our talents and those of others without bias or comparison. In this freedom, we find the ability to serve God and others selflessly, liberated from the constant need to compare ourselves to others. [08:57]

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you compared yourself to someone else. How can you celebrate their talents and your own without falling into the trap of comparison?


Day 4: Humility vs. Self-Contempt
True humility is not self-contempt but self-forgetfulness. It involves recognizing the glory in all of God's creation, including ourselves, and focusing on service to God and others. The enemy wants us to focus on ourselves, even in our humility, leading to self-contempt and ultimately to cynicism and cruelty. True humility, however, is about self-forgetfulness and recognizing the glory in all of God's creation, including ourselves. It is about rejoicing in our talents and those of others without bias or comparison. [06:07]

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3, ESV)

Reflection: How do you differentiate between humility and self-contempt in your life? What steps can you take to focus on self-forgetfulness and service to others?


Day 5: The Role of Humility in Leadership
Humility in leadership involves being open to feedback and willing to learn. Defensiveness and pride lead to stagnation, while humility fosters growth and improvement. Humility allows leaders to be open to feedback, to learn, and to grow, while defensiveness and pride lead to stagnation and decline. By embracing humility, leaders can create an environment of growth and improvement, where everyone is encouraged to contribute and learn. This approach not only benefits the leader but also the entire community they serve. [04:11]

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12, ESV)

Reflection: As a leader in your community or family, how can you practice humility by being open to feedback and willing to learn? What specific steps can you take to foster a culture of growth and improvement?

Quotes


C.S. Lewis wrote in his wonderful book screw tip letters about this process of humility and old uncle screw tape writes my dear wormwood uh wormwood's human being the patient that he was in charge of had come back to god had repented from a time of drifting away and this is what screwtape writes the most alarming thing in your last account of your patient is he's making none of those confident resolutions that marks his original conversions no more lamish stupid little gnats no more lavish promises of perpetual virtue i gather not even the expectation of an endowment of grace for life but only a hope for the daily and hourly pittance to meet the daily and hourly temptation this is very bad [00:01:06]

And then lewis goes on i see only one thing to do at the moment your patient has become humble have you drawn his attention to the fact and then this profound insight all virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them this is especially true of humility and this is part of what we're learning together about spiritual life there is this very interesting paradox that deep awareness is very helpful if i'm wrestling with something negative like to become aware oh this is me being fearful or oh this is me being resentful helps me get some distance from it on the other hand to say oh this is me being humble to become self-conscious about virtues actually makes it harder for them to be sustained for us to live in them [00:01:54]

Now one of the things that happens to human beings when we live with a sense of the need to accomplish or achieve or to look strong and that's the way that our world works is that our actual life goes in the opposite direction roger morton has written that in organizations when they lack humility they're on a path to dissent and the last two stages of this he says are the deterioration of needed feedback i'm no longer as a leader willing to listen to what other people need to tell me about what i'm doing wrong and then along with that the proliferation of defensiveness defensiveness is the opposite of humility it is an unwillingness to be coached by other people ultimately it is an unwillingness to learn and at the core it's an unwillingness to surrender [00:03:41]

One of the things that we've talked about for many many months is that spiritual life really begins with the recognition i can't and this is at the core of humility humility in a very deep way is really just the recognition of reality i can't i can't be the person i want to be i can't be as smart or as strong or as attractive or as successful or whatever it is as my ego tells me i have to be in order i can't i can't but there is one who can i think i'll let him i will surrender to him and this is why humility is simply at the deepest level just the recognition of reality and that's why there's nothing extraordinary about it [00:04:40]

Old uncle screw tape goes on there's other profitable ways of fixing his attention on the virtue of humility by this virtue as by all the others our enemy wants to turn the man's attention away from self to him to god and then to our neighbors old screw tape writes all the objection and self-hatred are designed in the long run solely for this end unless they attain this end they do us little harm and they may even do us good if they keep the man concerned with himself and above all if self-contempt which if i confuse humility for self-contempt can be made the starting point for the contempt of other selves and thus for gloom cynicism and cruelty [00:05:36]

Humility is not trying to think less of my abilities or my talents it's simply to think about myself less and to be aware of god and his goodness and the goodness of other human beings humility is really about freedom and that's why it is so worth asking for let's take a moment ask for right now god now as i walk through this day would you liberate me from my concern about myself my appearance my achievements would you deliver me from vanity keep me from comparing myself to other people help me to be of service to you and to them i pray this in jesus name amen [00:09:33]

The enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he would design the best cathedral in the world and know it to be the best and rejoice in the fact without being any more or less or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another the enemy wants him in the end to be so free from any bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor's talents or in a sunrise or an elephant or a waterfall he wants each man in the long run to be able to recognize all creatures even himself as glorious and excellent things [00:08:11]

Humility is opposed to this constant sense that we have of i got to compare myself to other people and that's where i develop a sense of worth there's an old old rabbinic story about how we can compete even in our humility a rabbi goes into the place of worship and falls on his knees and says oh god i'm nothing i am nothing i am nothing and the cantor sees the rabbi doing that figures is a good idea so he drops to his knees oh god i'm nothing i'm nothing i'm nothing and then the janitor guy at the low end of the status totem pole falls to his knees oh god i'm nothing i'm nothing i'm nothing and the cantor says to the rabbi look who thinks he's nothing [00:09:33]

Humility makes a life of freedom possible we're in this series together passage to wisdom how are you doing on the humility front c.s lewis wrote in his wonderful book screw tip letters about this process of humility and old uncle screw tape writes my dear wormwood uh wormwood's human being the patient that he was in charge of had come back to god had repented from a time of drifting away and this is what screwtape writes the most alarming thing in your last account of your patient is he's making none of those confident resolutions that marks his original conversions no more lamish stupid little gnats no more lavish promises of perpetual virtue [00:00:57]

And then lewis goes on i see only one thing to do at the moment your patient has become humble have you drawn his attention to the fact and then this profound insight all virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them this is especially true of humility and this is part of what we're learning together about spiritual life there is this very interesting paradox that deep awareness is very helpful if i'm wrestling with something negative like to become aware oh this is me being fearful or oh this is me being resentful helps me get some distance from it on the other hand to say oh this is me being humble to become self-conscious about virtues actually makes it harder for them to be sustained for us to live in them [00:01:54]

Now one of the things that happens to human beings when we live with a sense of the need to accomplish or achieve or to look strong and that's the way that our world works is that our actual life goes in the opposite direction roger morton has written that in organizations when they lack humility they're on a path to dissent and the last two stages of this he says are the deterioration of needed feedback i'm no longer as a leader willing to listen to what other people need to tell me about what i'm doing wrong and then along with that the proliferation of defensiveness defensiveness is the opposite of humility it is an unwillingness to be coached by other people ultimately it is an unwillingness to learn and at the core it's an unwillingness to surrender [00:03:41]

One of the things that we've talked about for many many months is that spiritual life really begins with the recognition i can't and this is at the core of humility humility in a very deep way is really just the recognition of reality i can't i can't be the person i want to be i can't be as smart or as strong or as attractive or as successful or whatever it is as my ego tells me i have to be in order i can't i can't but there is one who can i think i'll let him i will surrender to him and this is why humility is simply at the deepest level just the recognition of reality and that's why there's nothing extraordinary about it [00:04:40]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?