Seeds for 3/8/2023 - Colossians 2:18a
Scripture: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you.”
Observation: Often it helps us not only to know the good and faithful very well, but also to be wise about the bad so that we don’t get deceived.
Paul is keen to point out a pair of land mines in this text that could trip up the Colossian believers: false humility and the worship of angels.
False humility - False humility is a danger precisely because it is twisting so good a thing. Humility is an absolutely critical virtue in becoming Christlike. Jesus humbled Himself in order to be obedient to the point of death on the cross for the purpose of God’s mission in the world. Humility keeps us from thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought and helps us tap into compassion for others. But false humility goes bad in a couple of ways. Sometimes we are trying to be humble but we’re actually awkwardly down-playing a genuine accomplishment when we get a compliment. Better to just say thank you.
Other times, however, false humility is an effort to draw attention to ourselves and how humble we are. Putting on this mask is as opposite of true humility as one can get and Paul warns that some actually delight in faking it. As C.S. Lewis famously described someone who was truly humble in his classic, Mere Christianity, “He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.” His statement has been translated into this definition by Rick Warren (and possibly others): “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.”
Worship of angels - Although there is a real revival of paganism and other such religions, most of us probably aren’t tempted towards literal angel worship. That said, it does seem to me that we can adapt Paul’s instruction here in a way that does apply to us. We are all tempted in one way or another to elevate and confuse what is good with what is best. Angels are remarkable beings that inspire awe in the scriptures. So much so that people might confuse them for beings worthy of worship. But this is a mistake. God alone deserves our worship. We dare not confuse good, or even great, for the Absolute Best.
Application: How can we cultivate true humility and avoid false humility? Are there practical ways in your life that you let the good distract you from the best? How can that speak into our faith?
Prayer: Lord, keep me aware of and avoiding false things today, that I may be true to you. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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