Luke 14:11

How To Get Up Higher

He that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 14:11.

A young girl who was visiting London for the first time was taken to see a famous collection of paintings. She felt she had never enjoyed anything so much: she told her friends that she wanted to go back to that picture gallery every day. She was a girl who was, in fact, very fond of painting, and had been having lessons at a school in a little country town. The first thing she did after she went home was to buy a big easel, extra oil colors, a collection of brushes, and a large canvas. Then she announced to her mother and brothers that she was going to paint a picture. “I have a great idea in my mind,” she said. She tried to put that great idea on to the canvas, and what do you think? she was crying with mortification within an hour. She discovered that she could not even draw properly.

I wonder if any boy here, who is ambitious to be an architect, a builder, or a sculptor, would be as foolish. I once knew a boy art student very well. He was a clever young fellow and used to gain prizes for what he called his “compositions.” His master would give out a subject, and say to the class, “ Make a rough sketch of that in charcoal.” Well, that boy had great ideas; he could very easily make the rough sketch, and it was generally brilliantly clever. But he would never try to go any further. He had not learned that the beginning of success in anything means humble, hard work.

Have you ever heard the story of the man who went to a great ship owner to beg work? “I will do anything,” he said, “to gain an honest living.”

“Well,” replied the ship owner, “do you see that heap of stones on the other side of the yard? Take them and pile them up in the same way on this side, and I'll give you four dollars.”

The man did so and received his pay. Next morning he was told by the ship owner to remove the stones back to the place where they had first lain. Day after day he carted them uncomplainingly backwards and forwards till a whole week had passed. On Saturday the employer called the man before him. “I like you, my man,” said he; “there's no nonsense about you; you are willing to do what you are told and you are not afraid of a humble job. Many a man would have objected to doing this work over and over again. Now you shall have work so long as I can give it you.”

I wonder how many of us here would have been content to tackle that humble job without grousing? Twenty of us? Certainly not! Ten of us? No, not likely! Five of us? Hardly! One of us? Well, perhaps just one. So rare a virtue is real humility!

None of us like to be what we call “humbled.” Yet sometimes it is good for a boy to be unsuccessful at an examination. Sometimes it is good for a girl to be thwarted. We learn a great deal in the Valley of Humiliation. John Bunyan wrote a beautiful little bit about a boy who lived in this Valley.

“Now as the pilgrims were going along, in the Valley, and talking, they saw a boy feeding his father's sheep. The boy was in very mean clothes, but of a very fresh and well-favored countenance; and as he sat by himself, he sang. Hark, said Mr. Greatheart, to what the shepherd's boy saith. So they hearkened, and he said

He that is down needs fear no fall;

He that is low no pride;

He that is humble ever shall

Have God to be his guide....

Then said the guide, Do you hear him? I will dare to say that this boy lives a merrier life, and wears more of that herb called heart's-ease in his bosom, than he that is clad in silk and velvet.”

Jesus Christ said we must become as little children. That was surely being humble. Jesus Christ Himself became a little child; and it becomes us to try to follow where He led. If we are truly humble, one day we have Christ's word for it we shall get up higher.