Being Humble and Abounding

“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Philippians 4:12)

To be abased means humbled in heart and in need in many ways. Paul was saying to those who had provided for him that he was happy that they gave to him, but not because he necessarily needed the provision because he knew how to live in need and when in abundance. Paul wrote about those times. “ I have been in hardship and toil; often in watchings; in hunger and thirst; often in fastings; in cold and nakedness; besides the things outside conspiring against me daily, the care of all the churches.” (2Corinthians 11:27-28) While Paul was very explicit about how he suffered for the sake of the Gospel; he was not the only one. The apostles all suffered for the Gospel. Paul wrote about it. “For I think that God has set forth us last, the apostles, as it were appointed to death; for we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honorable, but we are despised. Even until this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.” (1Corinthians 4:9-13) I know from experience that when I am over excited about a project, I get so involved with it, I don’t get hungry, and I can work all night on it without a second thought. So, I can imagine Paul’s zeal for the Gospel and not only him but all the apostles that suffering hunger, need and support didn’t faze them. They were willing to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. This is evident in the fact also that every one of them willingly were martyred for Christ.

While Paul and also the apostles had a zeal that didn’t discourage them in suffering, we on the other hand find it hard to sacrifice our comfort, our time or energy for the sake of the Gospel. We find it difficult even to fast or skip meals for the sake of the Gospel. We carry out our service to the Lord in accordance with our convenience. We will do anything for the Lord as long as it’s not an inconvenience or a sacrifice. We don’t know how to be abased and humble ourselves before the Lord.

What is even true also is that we don’t know how to abound in the Lord. Paul had been given extraordinary revelations. It’s easy to get carried away as if we are special when blessings abound. But the truth is that nothing is ours to be lifted up about, not intelligence, not diligence, not discipline, not victory, not any efforts on our part nor any abounding. It’s all God’s mercy. Paul experienced something to bring him down from any lofty thoughts about the revelations God had given him. “For if I desire to boast, I shall not be foolish. For I will speak the truth. But I spare, lest anyone should think of me as being beyond what he sees me, or hears of me; and by the surpassing revelations, lest I be made haughty, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be made haughty.” (2Corinthians 12:6-7) There is that danger when we rise to a level of prominence in the church, in our works and in our world. It’s especially hard when we get praise for something. Comments like: “You did great!” can easily lift up the ego, but we must recognize that God is responsible for our talents and gifts. We should praise God when we see others do well. I’ve been taught to just say “Thank you” when others praise me. But to me that would be saying I am the initiator and provider of whatever I’m being praised for. I just say, “Praise God.” I’ve also been taught that praise is a great temptation. So, I’m extra careful when praises fly.

Paul said he was instructed both to be hungry and full, and to abound and suffer need. We have the Word to instruct us. There’s the incident with Nebuchadnezzar. “The king spoke and said, Is this not great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice fell from Heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The kingdom has departed from you. And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will. The same hour the thing was fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men, and ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.” (Daniel 4:30-33) He was humiliated for seven years after which his pride was gone from him, and he was restored.

Ultimately, it’s better to abase oneself than to pridefully lift oneself. There is nothing that makes us right before the Lord than recognizing who we are in relation to God. Yes, we’re precious in His sight because of the Blood of the Lamb, but in reality, we were nothing without His mercy and love. If we can remember that it was the sacrifice of Jesus that lifted us up, we can get the right perspective when we are blessed and abounding.