Representing God With Our Humility (REPRESENTATIVES part three)

Welcome back to week three of REPRESENTATIVES! I can’t wait to share this next blog post with you. If you haven’t read the other two parts, I recommend you read them before reading this one (they’re not super long!). You can find part one here, and part two here. However, this post can also go as a standalone. 

Let’s jump in!

One of the character traits of God that stands out to me so strongly is His humility. The fact that He sees broken humanity at its worst, yet chooses to pursue us anyway blows me away. He is, after all, God! 

And then I look at Jesus, who was the perfect representation of His Father. He was born in the company of animals. Lowly shepherds were the first to hear of His arrival to earth. And His band of followers—fishermen, tax collectors, and the like— were some of the people in that time period who were viewed as least important, despised even. And in the end, Jesus washed His disciple’s feet, backing what He said in Matthew 20:26: “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,” 

Jesus chose to take back the kingdom for God that way. His rescue plan for His people was grand—but He certainly didn’t make it seem like that at times.

You see, Jesus knew something that very few people knew: when you humble yourself before the Lord, He will exalt you (James 4:10). 

We live in a culture where pride is dominant, most people having mentalities such as, “I made a bigger paycheck than you last week,” “My outfit matches way better than yours,” or “You have no idea who just reached out to me…”

Do you know why people are so focused on outward appearances? Do you know why people so desperately feel like they need to always look the best, act the best, prove to everyone around them that they’re the best? 

Their identity is wrapped up in what people think they are.

They’ll only believe they are loved if someone demonstrates love to them. The only time they’ll think they’re valuable is if another person tells them they are. They don’t see themselves as beautiful unless people pursue them. 

In a culture where people desperately want to be loved and valued, they feel as though they have to fight for that. So in turn, they act, dress, talk, and behave differently.

All because they want to be accepted. 

I can honestly say that I’ve felt like this before… to an extent. I discussed it slightly in A Year in Review. My worth used to be so caught up in what people thought of me. I didn’t understand my true identity in Christ. 

People think of humility and immediately associate it with embarrassment, scorn, and no friends. 

Jesus saw humility as His way of being exalted by His father. It was His way to represent God to a people who said they understood Him but in reality had no idea who He really was. 

He was setting the ultimate example of what it looks like to be a servant of God, because as followers, our identity isn’t supposed to be in who or what people say we are. It’s in who God says we are.

Jesus represented God in the most accurate way… He represented a God who focused not on appearances, performance, or social status. 

He knew that God looks at the heart. 

When the focus isn’t on what people are thinking about us or how we appear, and instead is on how we demonstrate God’s servant heart to those around us… that’s when we’re representing Him accurately. 

Jesus said in a parable that whatever we do to the least of those who are around us, we’ve done it to Him (Matthew 25:40-45).

I encourage you to challenge yourself and ask when the last time was that you acted in humility for the sake of blessing, serving, or encouraging another person. Now, ask yourself when your next opportunity will come, and if you’ll take it.

Look for the little ways you can serve those around you— from sweeping the floors to volunteering at a ministry event to everything in between. In doing this, you will represent God and His servant heart to those around who have never seen Him for who He truly is.

After all, Jesus said in Mark 9:35, “…If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”