A newly promoted military officer was ecstatic to discover that he had just merited his first private office.
On his first day on the job, he sat down in his chair and surveyed his desk, his bookshelves, and his very own telephone.
A moment later, as he looked out his window, he noticed a private heading his direction.
As the private came to his door he picked up the phone and gushed, “That’s right, Mr. President, I couldn’t agree with you more. And just as soon as I find the time I’ll ring up the joint chiefs and assess their opinions about our strategies concerning China and the Middle East. See you at dinner this evening, sir.”
With that he slammed down the phone, looked up at the private, and sighed, “Now, what do you want?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir,” said the private, “but I was just dispatched by maintenance to come over and hook up your new phone.”
If we don’t humble ourselves, we may be quite sure that somebody or something else will take care of the job for us.
Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the Bible’s “deep humility” texts.
The apostle Paul writes, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.”
Why should we be humble? God is humble.
God’s decision to quietly become one of us – instead of putting on a celestial light show for the ages – reveals that he values humility over displays of power.
Which is something for us to remember the next time we’re tempted to call our own number.