Christ's Ethos of Humility

By Rodney Kirkpatrick

September 27, 2011

A successful design is always worthy of study and often profitable when applied.  In Christianity, the ultimate pattern is the life of Jesus Christ. Part of this is clearly represented in Philippians 2:3-8 which says,

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Humility was fundamental to the example of Christ's life. His life from beginning to end was devoid of the selfishness and personal agenda that permeates the world and is too often found in the Church.  The instruction, kindness and even rebukes of Jesus were always at the instruction of His Father (see John 5:30).

One morning while considering Christ's humility in prayer, I heard the word ethos in my spirit. Dictionary.com defines it as follows:

The fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentimate that informs the beliefs, customs or practices of a group or society; dominate assumptions of a people or period.

This word perfectly describes how Christ's actions were always the product of a humble heart. It also a fitting description of something that every Christian should be conscious of on a moment by moment basis.  Believers are told to "have this attitude...which was also in Christ Jesus."

To make humility a reality in our lives, it is important to come up with a practical definition. To begin with, it is a common mistake to always associate humility with a meek action. While Jesus washed His disciples' feet, He also called His beloved disciple Peter "satan" (see John 13:1-8 & Matthew 16:23). How could His conduct be so  different in each situation and still come from a place of humility? It is because Christ's humility was marked by His dependence on His Father's instruction rather than an external religious pattern. For us to follow Christ's example, humility is best defined as a heart attitude that continually considers two things:

1) How am I to be of benefit to the people God puts in my path?

2) What does Christ say about how I handle every situation I'm confronted with in my daily life?

Lastly let us look at why it is so important that the scripture would instruct us to "do nothing" from a self centered perspective? Consider that one of the astounding values of our Lord is that He doesn't force Himself on us.  Revelation 3:20 says,

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

In the same way that we have to "open the door" in the beginning, we must yield to His leading as we live the Christian life. He flows through us to the degree that we allow Him to influence our daily decisions.  The beginnning of experiencing His joy and peace or being able to bless others only comes when we make Christ's Ethos of Humility our own.