The World and the Fear of Humiliation: And why Humiliation Helps Us Come to Ourselves

And when he came to himself - Luk 15:17a 

It Takes a Man to Accept He is Defeated

The world is a hostile place. And none found this truer than the prodigal son. He left his father and threw himself at the world. But the world vomited him out. He left in suits but he returned in rags. He left in style but he returned in humiliation.

But it was humiliation which made the psalmist wiser.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psa 119:71

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 119:67

To be Humiliated is to be Made Stronger

Humiliation is a powerful redemptive tool which God employs many times. Believers should not fear it. In fact they should pray for it more! Humiliation opens the eyes and gives people a new strength which they never thought they had before. When I lost a sister my late dad cried like a baby. And I suffered a serious roller coaster of emotions as a result. He had been the typical African man. But he cried like a baby. The next shock was to see my mom calmly comforting him and everyone present. But she never shed a single tear. It’s as if she stared humiliation in the face and said ‘Come!’ She then prayed like I had never seen her pray before.

Yet a non-believer burdened with the whole earth would never do something like that. He would harden his face. But he would never be free. Probably men should begin to pray for humiliation more. It will certainly make them very strong and very true men.

Paul prayed that he might know the true suffering of Christ. And God gave him a lot of humiliation. He also gave him a nugget (among many) which rings true to this day: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’

At Gethsemane Jesus prayed that the will of God be done. And the will of God was to humiliate him. And today many in the world are strong because of that humiliation. Many who were on the brink of death have got healed because of that humiliation.

Take Heart, This World is Passing By

In the world you will be rejected, abused, lied, ripped off, hated and even killed. Even the testimony of the secular News Channels attest to the fact that the world is a sick place. How can one possibly be in love with such a place?

‘Therefore I hated life,’ Solomon groaned. And it is a groan which resounds in many homes up to this day. It took great humility for a king to make such an admission. Can you face God like that too, in your utter ‘nakedness’?

And this is the will of God that in everything we give him thanks - including humiliation. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…’

I believe that should be our attitude towards this world as believers. It should be an attitude of love, even where that love is clothed with tears.

‘And rend your heart, and not your garments,’ screams Scripture. It is in the closet that we mourn, grunt, cry and even prostrate. That is because we know prayer is power and humiliation is nothing. It is because we ask that we receive. He who does not ask receives nothing.

Loving the World Carefully

Our love of the world as believers should therefore be sober and cautious. Not the secular love of the world which is reckless, energy sapping and mind vitiating. And in the end it leaves a man angry, sad and broke. Like the prodigal.

In conclusion, it is obvious that we as believers will suffer great humiliation while here on earth, as it is written, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation’. But take consolation: if we endure up to the end we shall be clothed with white garments. We shall wear the crown, and finally, we shall be adorned with beauty for our ashes forever.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Rom 8:22-23  

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 2Co 5:2-4

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Php 2:5-8  

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Co 4:17-18