Living Out Vibrant Humility in Hard Times
There have been seasons in my life where I’ve experienced the temptation to pick a side and dig in. When we started revitalizing our church years ago, some of the hardest debates weren’t over theology. They were about music, chairs, and who got to make the call on a Sunday gathering order of service. Looking back, I didn’t always get it right, but the times I did, it was through vibrant humility, not pushing my authority.
What Vibrant Humility in Faith Looks Like
Jesus asked His disciples a simple question in Matthew 16:16-18 (ESV):
“Who do you say that I am?”
Peter’s answer became the foundation the whole church was built on. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which just means a gathering of people, not a building or a program.
I think we forget that often in our modern Western expressions. The church isn’t the sign out front or the Sunday program. It’s the people, gathered together, choosing to stay humble with each other even when it’s hard.
Abundant Life Isn’t About Getting Everything Right
Jesus said in John 10:10 (ESV) that He came so we could have life and have it abundantly. I used to think that verse meant things would get easier once I figured ministry out. (Boy, was I wrong!) What I’ve realized over time is that abundance most often shows up in the middle of hard seasons, not after the work’s completed.
Paul wrote from a prison cell, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, ESV).
The context shows us that he wasn’t rejoicing because of his current circumstances; they hadn’t improved. His joy was always tied to the Gospel mission and the church. We should cling to his example.
Vibrant Humility in Faith Means Serving Others
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) tells us to do nothing from selfish ambition, and to count others more significant than ourselves. That’s a hard verse to live out when you’re sitting across from someone who thinks you’re wrong about something that matters deeply to you.
Paul put it into practice by becoming “a servant to all, that I might win more of them” (1 Corinthians 9:19, ESV).
There wasn’t ever a compromising of the gospel. But he was choosing humility in the way he carried it.
What This Has Taught Me About Leading
Every church I know of has its own history of the worship wars. Ours came with different names and different arguments, but the choice is always the same: Stay humble and focused on the mission, or dig in and lose the church.
Leaders who walked with vibrant humility while pointing to the Gospel as the reason for forward motion are the ones who are still leading today. That’s not a coincidence.
That being said, vibrant humility in faith isn’t a strategy you adopt once and move past. It’s something we have to choose over and over again…usually in conversations we’d rather not have. But in the end, it’s worth it!
Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts
- What’s one situation where staying humble cost you being right?
- Where do you see abundance showing up in a hard season right now?
- Who is God asking you to serve well, even when you disagree with them?
