Day 4: The Greatest Value Is One - The Good News Neighbor

“Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:24, NLT)

Nobody gets famous because of humility. It is not something we value in our culture. There are not too many job interviews that press into humility. We don’t put posters on our walls of humble people. Social media algorithms don’t value humility. Ask pastors about their favorite preachers. Not many will highlight the humility of someone.

Pride is the opposite of humility. When you depend entirely on God, you exemplify humility. When you rely upon yourself, you risk succumbing to pride. Humility considers the good of others. Pride seeks self-indulgence above anything else.

Prideful people fear losing the source of their pride. Humble people fear nothing other than God. How does pride give us a fear of losing something? If your identity is your wealth, you’ll fear losing it. If your identity is your beauty, you’ll fear losing it. If your identity is achievement, you’ll fear losing it. But you can’t lose God! So humbly identify with Him.

Pride leaves you with a small heart for others. Humility enables you to show the greatness of God’s grace. Consider the following questions.

• Have you ever demanded the attention of others?
• Have you ever been critical of others’ successes?
• Have you ever had trouble admitting you were wrong?
• Have you ever been at the center of conflict?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you have likely struggled with pride. Nothing sweeps you away from the Great Commandment like pride. Jesus gives us this command: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

The Great Commandment is an exercise in humility. Pride makes us love ourselves more than God and others. There is no grace in pride, but there is a lot of wisdom with humility. Pride is self-centered, while humility is gospel-centered. Pride makes our hearts small. Humility makes grace big.

Nobody knows Ambrose Gilbert Sapp, a local church pastor who toiled in obscurity among the rolling fields of Kentucky, shepherding God’s people in poverty, without any glory or recognition. He preached. He died. He was forgotten. But my wife knows Jesus because of him. He is her grandfather.

He never preached to crowds. His churches were small, rural congregations. Ambrose shared the Good News with one person at a time. Year after year, people got saved. He was not popular except in the Kingdom of God.

God’s Kingdom grows one by one. Who is right in front of you? Who do you know who needs Jesus? Who can you invite to church? The greatest value in God’s kingdom is one.