The School of Lowliness
Every Sunday morning [in the prison camp] I was required to present myself to the official's office... to verify my presence... I have often heard of and read about various universities, public schools, and Bible schools. But I never really understood or had any concept of what it was like to be enrolled in this school that I call the School of Humility
In this school, learning comes from repetition of the class. There is only one mystery in the world, and that is the mystery of lowliness... Man will choose death rather than continue in humiliation. In lowliness the truth is revealed of how false death really is. It is in humiliation that death of the self happens.
I repeated this class every week as I stood in line to present myself to the officials... I hurt from the abusive way we were treated and spoken to... I would cry... One day, though, I learned that these tears were not real tears at all. I heard clearly the Word of the Lord to me saying, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest in your souls". It hit me like a hammer and... I said to the Lord, "Now I understand you, Lord. Until now I have not been learning from you, but from people"... I was not to go to my "school" each week with tears, but with joy as one who goes with her Teacher. He not only speaks of this lowliness, but He demonstrates it and shows us how to put it into practice... In Christ, lowliness was in the heart, yet in myself lowliness was only in my mind. Lowliness cannot be learned by the mind. It can only be learned by practice of it and exercise of it in each person's life...
His burden seemed so light now and in that building I was meeting in a new way my Lord. My peace and serenity was not tied to my external circumstances, but to my Father who is in control, and creates all circumstances.
[JF, OATR, (c)1989]
In this school, learning comes from repetition of the class. There is only one mystery in the world, and that is the mystery of lowliness... Man will choose death rather than continue in humiliation. In lowliness the truth is revealed of how false death really is. It is in humiliation that death of the self happens.
I repeated this class every week as I stood in line to present myself to the officials... I hurt from the abusive way we were treated and spoken to... I would cry... One day, though, I learned that these tears were not real tears at all. I heard clearly the Word of the Lord to me saying, "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest in your souls". It hit me like a hammer and... I said to the Lord, "Now I understand you, Lord. Until now I have not been learning from you, but from people"... I was not to go to my "school" each week with tears, but with joy as one who goes with her Teacher. He not only speaks of this lowliness, but He demonstrates it and shows us how to put it into practice... In Christ, lowliness was in the heart, yet in myself lowliness was only in my mind. Lowliness cannot be learned by the mind. It can only be learned by practice of it and exercise of it in each person's life...
His burden seemed so light now and in that building I was meeting in a new way my Lord. My peace and serenity was not tied to my external circumstances, but to my Father who is in control, and creates all circumstances.
[JF, OATR, (c)1989]
posted by CS at 4:58 PM
1 Comments:
Meekness, humility, lowliness are the deepest struggles of my life. What an excellent reminder
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