We're Doing the Best That We Can

In 1980, Mac Davis wrote and performed “Its Hard tobe Humble.” It was tongue in cheek song about how hard it is to be humble when you are good looking, on top of the world and perfect in every way. Mac finished the song by saying he’s doing the best that he can.

 

Today’s reading is Philippians 2:1-11 and it is about humility.

 

Jesus was figuratively on top of the world, that is, in heaven, at the time of creation. As the Son of  God, he was perfect in every way. Unlike Mac Davis, who tried, but was unsuccessful at being humble, Jesus perfected humility.

 

It was not hard for Jesus to be humble.

 

Jesus came to earth and lived with us. He healed and fed many. He brought the dead to life. He prayed for many.  As a teacher, he spoke words of wisdom where ever he went. Jesus truly was a servant.

 

Jesus was living with his father. He had a perfect life in a perfect place with perfect beings.

 

Yet he left perfection to live with us – unclean, corrupted and prideful as we are. Consider the honor and glory he had amongst the heavenly beings. He left all that to serve us, to love us, to give us everlasting life. That is a sign of humility.

 

We (humankind) repaid Jesus by nailing him to a cross. We as humans sometimes are not very grateful.

 

As Philippians states, Jesus asks us to be servants too.

 

We are to love people by caring for them and tending to their needs. Perhaps we can teach them about Jesus. Perhaps we can share a meal. Perhaps we can help someone get needed medical help. And yes, we can pray for others.

 

Obviously we cannot bring people to life, so I suppose we cannot be exactly like Jesus.

 

However, if we do the things we can do, then as Mac Davis sang, “We’re doing the best that we can.”

Pride goes before the fall

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

"Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble..." If you remember this song from 1980 by Mac Davis, you are dating yourself as am I.  I went to You-Tube just to listen to the rest of the words and maybe take a short trip down memory lane. The journey did take me back to a different time, a different place, thirty-three years ago. At that time or season of my life, humility was not a strong suit.

What I find interesting is during those years of living for myself, not really thinking about anyone outside my husband and children, how very unhappy I was. Pride does not make pleasure. Thinking highly of myself and living selfishly will not provide joy or meaning to one's life. Selfishness can ruin a family but genuine humility can build it up.

The moment we stop treating others with contempt or as worthless beings, things change. There really is joy in serving others; there is pleasure in caring for someone. When I learned how to listen to someone else's troubles I realized God could use me. Once I got past the ill-conceived notion that I was the end-all-be-all, I was able to relate to others, to share my experience, strength and hope with them.

But God had to humble me, had to teach me how to look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. It is much easier to live in a world where I don't have to live up to my own prideful ambitions; where I can be real and recognize this wisdom of living life with an unassuming posture. It is then God will lift us up.

Philippians 2:1-11