Daily Devotions

Let holy charity
my outward vesture be,
and lowliness become my inner clothing;

So our pentecost hymn unfolds.

Charity is one of the three theological virtues. The others are faith and hope. Charity is also one of the elements found within the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Ancient Hebrew wisdom describes four levels of charity. The lowest level of charity, to be avoided if at all possible, is to give a poor person a gift with his full knowledge that you are the donor. The next level is to give an anonymous gift to meet an immediate need.  The penultimate level is to provide work that the needy one knows you provided. The highest level is to provide a job for one in need without his knowledge that you provided it.

This highest level is surely the one referred to in today’s hymn snippet.

John MacArthur in his book ‘Getting Knocked Down? Humble Walk’ writes, “The cost of true greatness is humble, selfless, sacrificial service. The Christian who desires to be great and first in the kingdom is the one who is willing to serve in the hard place, the demanding place, the place where he is not appreciated and may even be persecuted. Knowing that time is short and eternity is long, he is willing to spend and be spent. He is willing to work for excellence without becoming proud, to withstand criticism without becoming bitter, to be misjudged without becoming defensive, to withstand suffering without succumbing to self-pity.”

This is the essence of what Jesus spoke about when he said, “The person who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever honours himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honoured.” Matthew 23:11-12

The Holy Spirit, a key aspect of Christian faith, is often associated with humility, as a humble heart is seen as a receptive environment for the Spirit's presence and guidance. Humility involves recognising one's limitations and being open to learning and serving others, mirroring the example of Jesus. 

Holy Spirit, May holy charity my outward vesture be, and lowliness become my inner clothing. Amen