In an age and world focused on self-care, rights, and status, you don’t hear much about becoming humble. But from the view of the eternal Kingdom, humility is a most important and urgent concern for those who believe in Jesus. Not only does Scripture emphasize the importance of cultivating humility (click here for my article on the missing practice of cultivating virtue), but humility is also the antidote to the deceitful and dangerous sin of pride. The following post will invite you to contemplate the presence of humility in your life.

Some Descriptions of Humility

“Humility is: “having a modest opinion of one’s self, having a feeling of insignificance, aiming to be low in importance” – (Dictionary.com)

“Holy is Thy wisdom, power, mercy, ways, works. How can I stand before Thee with my numberless and aggravated offences?” – (God and Myself, pg. 70, The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions)

“If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” (Mother Teresa)

Dangers of Not Having Humility

• You can be ruled either by the divine power of Christ OR by the evil power of pride. (Humility, The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray)

• Pride (in place of humility) distances you from God and makes you vulnerable to destruction (Proverbs 16:18, James 4:6)
• Bitterness (in place of humility) defiles you and robs you of peace (Hebrews 12:15, Deuteronomy 29:18)
• Pride (in place of humility) leads to shame and strife (Proverbs 11:2, 13:10)
• Pride will bring you low – but not to the place of honor that the low place of humility brings (Proverbs 29:23)
• Pride will deceive you and harden your heart (Jeremiah 49:16, Daniel 5:20, Mark 7:22)
• Pridefulness is not a trait of belonging to God’s Kingdom (1 Timothy 3:6, 1 John 2:16)

• “The sin of pride when you’re right is just as bad as the sin of pride when you’re wrong. Pride is still pride even when you’re right.” (Anita Miller, Licensed Christian Counselor)

Exclusive Rewards for Humility

If you humble yourself, you will…

• have what you need to be able to do good (Deuteronomy 8:16)
• experience having His ear for your prayers (Psalm 9:12)
• learn Godly ways from the One who designed them (Psalm 25:9)
• be enabled to praise Him with gladness (Psalm 34:2)
• have a special beauty (Psalm 149:4)
• increase in wisdom and joy in the Lord (Proverbs 11:2, Isaiah 29:19)
• experience glory (Proverbs 19:11)
• gain a high status in heaven (Matthew 18:4)
• become more like Christ (Philippians 2:8)
• have the posture to receive His grace (Proverbs 3:34)

How to Pursue Humility

• Examine your earthly relationships; they prove if your humility is real
• Be honest about your sin nature
• Confess your defensiveness, domineering tendencies, impatience, judgments, anger, criticisms, and offenses
• Become more preoccupied with God than your typical desires
• Learn more about the humility of Jesus
• Study the Scriptures referenced in this article
• Research the circumstances the writers were in when they wrote the quotes in this article
• Listen to this podcast, and any others that point you to who God is and why humility is best for you
• Esteem holiness & heavenliness
• Be willing to let Him humble you – even humiliate you – in exchange for the deepest possession of Him, love, and happiness you could ever know

Prayer & Blessing

“Plough deep in me, great Lord until Thou alone art seen in me.” – (The Deeps, pg. 134, The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions)

“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”  (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to take advantage of, but made Himself of no reputation … coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7)