Humility E-Book

Gavin Ortlund

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Growing Gospel Integrity
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Cultivating Humility in a Gospel-Centered Way There are many misconceptions about what it means to be humble. Some think that being humble means hiding your talents and abilities or being weak and inauthentic. But the Bible paints a different picture—defining humility as a self-forgetfulness leading to joy and explaining that it is a life-giving virtue that frees you from the restricting needs of your ego.  In Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness, Gavin Ortlund encourages readers that humility is not just an abstract virtue but a mark of gospel integrity. Ortlund examines humility both on a personal level and in the context of the church, giving examples of ways to cultivate it—including meditation on the gospel and practicing intentional gratitude. Drawing from Philippians 2 and historical texts such as C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity and Jonathan Edwards's sermon "A Christian Spirit Is a Humble Spirit," Ortlund defines humility in light of the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, casting a vision for a gospel-centered, humble life. - First Book in the Growing Gospel Integrity Series: Created in partnership with Union School of Theology, with future volumes written by Sinclair B. Ferguson, Joe Rigney, and Conrad Mbewe - Written by Gavin Ortlund: Author of Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future and Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage - For Small Groups and Individual Study: Questions at the end of each chapter encourage small group discussion 

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“Saint Augustine once counseled that the top three virtues of Christianity are ‘Humility, humility, and humility.’ One suspects he said this because when humility is intact, all other fruit of the Spirit fall into place. What Gavin Ortlund has given us in this wonderful book is not only a description of humility but also a pathway that makes the reader desire more of it, for the smaller we become in our own eyes, the bigger Christ becomes to us. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”

Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee; author, Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen

“If humble people are realists (and they are), and if realists are humble people (and they are), then Ortlund’s concise work helpfully jabs us awake from our dreamy delusions of self-identity (whether too inflated or too deflated) and gives us very practical help in constructing our lives according to the plumb line of Christlike realism. Wisely, Ortlund wants us to not only understand humility but pursue it, experience it, feel it, and even enjoy it. Making reference to gems by Churchill, Lewis, Keller, Wesley, Edwards, Aquinas, Kidner, ten Boom, Augustine, Spurgeon, and more, Ortlund guides us away from misconceptions and toward genuine love, even tackling the dreaded concept of submission. I’m glad I read it.”

Sam Crabtree, Pastor for Small Groups, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota; author, Practicing Affirmation

“In today’s high-pressure world of Christian ministry, it is all too easy to adopt attitudes that are antithetical to those modeled by Christ. Pride is often considered a necessary component in the advancement of the kingdom, and humility is viewed as a weakness that is to be overcome. In this insightful book, Gavin Ortlund reminds us that humility is the way of Jesus and the only real option for his servants. A much-needed word in our time.”

Brian Brodersen, Pastor, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, California

“There are timely books and there are timeless ones; fortunately, Gavin Ortlund’s new book, Humility, happens to be both. In a culture of bravado and hubris, Gavin shows us the beauty and freedom of humility—not mere kindness, sweetness, and a nonoffensive personality, but humility as the redemptive DNA of the gospel, the heartbeat of Jesus’s incarnation, and the culture God’s Spirit creates in a heart and church alive to the riches of grace. What a compelling, inviting, life-giving study.”

Scotty Smith, Pastor Emeritus, Christ Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee; Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee

“In an age of self-creation and self-promotion, this book serves as a reset. The burden of creating one’s own image and work is heavy. We feel a compulsion to prove our worth and tell others about it. But Gavin reminds us that it’s self-forgetfulness, not self-promotion, that leads us to joy. He puts on display the relief of humility and the comfort that comes with personally knowing the goodness and compassion of God. In an age where we feel the pressure to put ourselves front and center, this book is a needed correction and a sweet exhortation to instead hide ourselves in Jesus.”

Jen Oshman, author, Enough about Me and Cultural Counterfeits

Humility

Growing Gospel Integrity

Michael Reeves, series editor

Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness, Gavin Ortlund

Humility

The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness

Gavin Ortlund

Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness

Copyright © 2023 by Gavin Ortlund

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing, 2023

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-8230-1 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-8233-2 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-8231-8 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-8232-5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022944938

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2022-12-12 09:49:05 AM

In memory of my grandfather,

Ray Ortlund Sr.,

who modeled through his life that humility leads to contagious joyfulness

Contents

Series Preface

Preface

Introduction: Why We Misunderstand Humility

Part 1: Cultivating Personal Humility

1  How the Gospel Defines Humility

2  How the Gospel Fuels Humility

3  Ten Practices to Kill Pride

Part 2: Cultivating Humility in Our Church Life

4  Humility in Leadership: Creating a Culture of Freedom

5  Humility among Peers: Overcoming Envy and Competition

6  Humility toward Leaders: Understanding What Submission Really Means

Conclusion: Joy as the Acid Test of Humility

Epilogue: Humility in Social Media Engagement

General Index

Scripture Index

Series Preface

Gospel integrity is, I suggest, the greatest and most vital need of the church today. More than moral behavior and orthodox beliefs, this integrity that we need is a complete alignment of our heads, our hearts, and our lives with the truths of the gospel.

In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul issues a call to his readers to live as people of the gospel. Spelling out what this means, Paul sets out four marks of gospel integrity.

First, he entreats, “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27a). The people of the gospel should live lives worthy of the gospel.

Second, this means “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27b). In other words, integrity to the gospel requires a united stand of faithfulness together.

Third, knowing that such a stand will mean suffering and conflict (1:29–30), Paul calls the Philippians not to be “frightened in anything” (1:28a). He describes this courage as “a clear sign” of our salvation (1:28b).

Fourth, Paul writes,

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (2:1–3)

Paul thus makes it clear that there is no true Christian integrity without humility.

The simple aim of this series is to reissue Paul’s gospel-based call to an integrity that means living worthily, unitedly, courageously, and humbly. We need to recognize, however, that these four marks are not abstract moral qualities or virtues. What Paul has in mind are, quite specifically, marks and manifestations of integrity to the gospel. As such, the books in this series will unpack how the gospel fuels and shapes those qualities in us.

Through this little series, may God be glorified, and may “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (4:23).

Michael Reeves

Series Editor

Preface

Someone innocently asked what it’s like to write a book about humility. I thought of Winston Churchill’s reputed quip about a political opponent: “He is a humble man, but then, he has much to be humble about!”1

This is my only qualification for writing this book: I have much to be humble about!

But humility is too wonderful a thing for us not to consider and pursue. It is like oxygen. Humility is restorative, normalizing. It is for your soul what a good night’s sleep is for your body.

As we start together in this book, here’s an image to help orient us. Take a moment to think about what it feels like to be truly awed by something. For instance, consider the feeling you have when you stare up at the immensity of a night sky full of stars and become overwhelmed with how small you are and how huge the universe is. Think of the particular nuances of this feeling—the sense of wonder, of enchantment, of losing track of yourself. It is one of the most wonderful feelings you will ever have.

Humility is the pathway to that feeling. Humility can lead you to that feeling continuously, in all kinds of scenes.

After all, the world is chock-full of things that should inspire our awe. Cloud formations. The movements of ants. Mathematical equations. Trees that have been alive since before the time of Christ. The way a baby grows in the womb. The story of the person who works in the cubicle next to you. There are no uninteresting objects, only uninterested subjects. There is no reason not to live with a kind of astonished gratitude at what is around us—except a lack of humility.

Humility opens our eyes to the wonders all around us: it is sensitivity to reality, the turning of our narrow selves to the vast ocean of externality, and ultimately to God himself. In this way, humility is, in every circumstance, the key to joy, flourishing, and life itself.

This book was written to help us understand and pursue humility. It was written especially for Christians, and chapter 4 has an eye to pastors and church leaders—but I hope anyone might benefit from it. The first half of the book considers personal humility, while the second half considers humility in the context of the church. Throughout, the goal is to understand one particular quality of humility: namely, its ability to lead us back to joy.

Special thanks to Justin Taylor and the entire team at Crossway for being a joy for an author to work with—they are professional, courteous, generous, and so skilled at what they do. Greg Bailey’s sharp editorial comments improved the book in many ways. I’m grateful to Mike Reeves for his gracious invitation to be a part of this fantastic series. Thanks also to Andrew Wolgemuth for his help, encouragement, and friendship in my writing. And most of all, thank you, Esther, for being such a friend through the last several years. You alone understand. Psalm 27:13–14. Don’t stop believing.

1  This quotation has appeared in various forms. One appeared in William Henry Chamberlin, “The So Austere, So Safe Clement Attlee,” Chicago Tribune, June 27, 1954.

Introduction

Why We Misunderstand Humility

We often think of humility as a somewhat dreary virtue. We know we need it, but we don’t expect it to be much fun.1

I remember hearing a talk on humility at a youth group. The speaker opened with dutiful reluctance: “I know we don’t really enjoy this topic, but we need to talk about it anyway.”

This is how many of us think: humility is important, but strictly as a duty. It’s like paying our taxes or going to the dentist.

Interestingly, C. S. Lewis argued the opposite: “To get even near [humility], even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert.”2Tim Keller preached something similar: “There’s nothing more relaxing than humility.”3 As he explained, pride grumbles at everything, but humility can joyfully receive life as a gift.

So perhaps we get it backward: we think humility is an impossible burden, but in reality it is as light as a feather. It is pride that makes life gray and drab; humility brings out the color.

Misconceptions about Humility

Why do we get this wrong? I don’t fully know, but I suspect that part of the answer is that we simply misunderstand what humility is. It may be the most misunderstood virtue there is. Here are three misconceptions, in particular.

Misconception #1: Humility Is Hiding

Humility is not hiding your talents or abilities. If you can paint like Van Gogh, humility does not require you to keep your work under a veil in the basement closet. If you can pitch a ninety-five-mile-per-hour fastball, humility will not encourage you to sit on the bench and never tell the coach.

In Lewis’s classic The Screwtape Letters, one devil advises another,

The Enemy [God] wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another. The Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor’s talents—or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall.4

If Lewis is right, then