The last few weeks I’ve been teaching some seminars on serving – how to serve joyfully, how to serve sacrificially, and how to serve in weakness. I’ve been reflecting that to serve Jesus and his church sacrificially we need to kill our pride. Pride is the enemy of humble, sacrificial service. Below is one of Charles Spurgeon’s gospel meditations I’ve found especially helpful in addressing my own pride. (I’ve rewritten it slightly for clarity.)
Jesus is the great teacher of humility. We need to learn from him every day. See the Master taking a towel and washing His disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, won’t you humble yourself? See Him as the Servant of servants. Surely you can’t be proud! His life story can be summed up in one sentence, “He humbled Himself.”
Jesus stripped off every robe of honour until his naked body was fastened to the cross. And there he emptied out every part of himself – pouring out His blood, giving his life for each of us – before they laid Him, penniless, in a borrowed grave. Our redeemer was brought so low. How, then, can we be proud?
Stand at the foot of the cross and count the purple drops which cleanse you. See the crown of thorns. Look at his scourged shoulders, gushing with crimson blood. See his hands and feet surrendered to rough iron, and his whole self surrendered to mockery and scorn. See the bitterness, the spasms of pain, and the struggle of inward grief. Hear him cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
You were so lost that nothing could save you except the sacrifice of God’s own son. As Jesus humbled himself for you, bow in humility at his feet. A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us can humble us even more than an awareness of our own sin. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. We must sit there and learn humility.
a better country 