Be Humble Day 谦卑日
Dexu Xia
He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8
I’m often amused by the unofficial holidays people come up with. February alone has a Sticky Bun Day, a Sword Swallowers Day, even a Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day! Today has been labeled Be Humble Day. Universally recognized as a virtue, humility is certainly worth celebrating. But interestingly, this hasn’t always been the case.
Humility was considered a weakness, not a virtue, in the ancient world, which prized honor instead. Boasting about one’s achievements was expected, and you sought to raise your status, never lower it. Humility meant inferiority, like a servant to a master. But all this changed, historians say, at Jesus’ crucifixion. There, the One who was “in very nature God” gave up His divine status to become “a servant” and “humbled himself” to die for others (Philippians 2:6–8). Such a praiseworthy act forced humility to be redefined. By the end of the first century, even secular writers were calling humility a virtue because of what Christ had done.
Every time someone is praised for being humble today, the gospel is being subtly preached. For without Jesus, humility wouldn’t be “good,” or a Be Humble Day even thinkable. Christ relinquished His status for us, revealing through all history the humble nature of God.
By: Sheridan Voysey
What would the world be like if humility was still a weakness? In what relationships can you imitate Jesus’ humility today?
I praise You, Jesus, for being the Humble One. And I desire to humble myself to You today as my only fitting response!
[祂]自甘卑微，顺服至死，而且死在十字架上。—腓立比书2章8节，新译本
我常觉得人们自创的非正式节日很有趣。单单在二月就有焦糖黏黏包日、世界吞剑者日，甚至还有国际狗饼干感恩节，而今天则是人们所定的“谦卑日”。谦卑是举世公认的美德，当然值得庆祝。但耐人寻味的是，这个美好的品格并非一直受人尊崇。
在古时候，人们认为谦卑是个弱点，而非一种美德，因为那时人们更看重荣誉。人们很自然地都会夸耀自己的成就，希望提高身份地位，而不让自己低人一等。谦卑意味着卑微低下，就像以下对上，奴仆对主人一样。但历史学家说，这一切都因耶稣被钉十架而彻底改变了。耶稣“本有上帝的形象”，却舍弃祂神圣的地位而“取了奴仆的形象”，自甘卑微为人受死（腓立比书2章6-8节）。耶稣这种值得万人称颂的壮举，使得谦卑被重新定义。到了第一世纪末，即使有些作家并不是基督徒，也因基督的作为而将谦卑视为一种美德。
如今，每当有人因谦卑而受到赞扬时，福音就巧妙地被传开了。因为如果没有耶稣，谦卑就不会被人认为是一种美德，更别提设立“谦卑日”了。基督为我们舍弃了祂尊贵的地位，在人类的历史中向我们揭示上帝谦卑的特质。
作者： 霍薛顿
若谦卑仍被视为弱点，世界会变成什么样子？
今天你可以在哪些人际关系中
效法耶稣的谦卑？
耶稣，我赞美祢，因祢是自甘卑微的至高者。
今天，我来到祢的面前，愿我也能学像祢的谦卑。