Let me first begin by saying that I’m not writing about humility as if I were an expert on the subject. Rather, I desperately want to be humble because pride comes so easy. My desire in writing this article is that we can grow together toward the goal of being humble women.
Here are the three questions I hope to adequately address in this article.
1. What is humility?
2. Why should we pursue humility?
3. How can we be humble?
What is Humility?
1. A humble person is not looking to be considered a Christian celebrity or be exalted in Christian circles.
Paul the Apostle said in 2 Corinthians 12:6, “For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.” In other words, though he had much to boast about, he didn’t want anyone to think more highly of him than what they saw firsthand.
2. Humility doesn’t mean a lack of drive or determination, but that the ambition a humble person has is a genuine desire to serve others and glorify God, not a secret desire to become famous so they are glorified.
3. A humble person wants to see God glorified, people saved, Christians becoming more like Jesus—even if nobody knows they are the cause of that success. A humble person would say something like, “These results weren’t because of me, but God’s grace working and accomplishing His will and the amazing people who have worked on this project. I was just blessed to even be a part of it.”
4. Humble people want to move the glory away from themselves and toward God and others.
5. Humility is being concerned with what God thinks. And what draws God’s notice is that same humility that longs for His attention.
Since pride is the opposite of humility, let’s see what pride is to give us a clearer definition of humility.
1. Pride is boastful. (1 Cor. 13:4 says love is never boastful.)
2. Pride is when we are inclined to think highly of ourselves—like the Pharisee who prayed, “Thank you God that I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11). It is when we are deceived into thinking we are at a level in our spirituality that we are not.
3. Prideful people want to pull the glory toward themselves. C.J. Mahaney says is his book “Humility: True Greatness”: “Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification.”
4. Pride is being concerned with what people think.
Why Should We Pursue Humility?
1. Before honor is humility. Before destruction is pride. (Prov. 15:33, Prov. 18:12) God honors those who are humble. Matthew 23:12 says, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
2. God knows who is humble and who is not. He looks for those who are humble, that he might show them grace and favor. And when He finds those who are proud, He strongly opposes them, that He might bring destruction on them. James 4:6 says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
3. God looks at the humble person. His attention and favor is on those who are humble. Isaiah 66:2b says, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Simply reading the Bible each morning doesn’t draw God’s favor. But trembling while you read the Bible each morning does draw God’s favor.
How Can We Be Humble?
1. Admit your wrongs—quickly and easily. Here is a common story of how my pride is displayed. My husband walks into the house and the kitchen is messy. He calls me to find out why. I tell him, “Yes, the kitchen is messy. But I had homeschool group today and then church afterward. So I’ve been gone all day. And when we were leaving this morning I had to change James’ clothes twice, so I was running late and I didn’t have time to do the dishes. (And the unsaid words: So that is why the kitchen is messy. And, like I explained, it’s not my fault.)”
Instead of excuses, humility says simply, “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. I should have woken up earlier to make sure everything was done before I left for homeschool group. Will you please forgive me for not planning better?”
A humble person is not offended when someone questions them about their failures. Instead, they are saddened by their own failures. A humble person looks at himself when things go wrong, not at others. A prideful person looks to others or to excuses when things go wrong.
2. We exercise humility when we are not reliant on ourselves, but aware that we can do nothing apart from Christ. Humble people believe the words Jesus spoke in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Humble people don’t trust in themselves or their own abilities but depend on God’s strength.
3. A humble person thinks of others more highly than they think of themselves. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”
4. A humble person wants to serve others, not be served. Jesus even said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 20:26)
Now, we’ve seen that humility brings God’s favor toward us, while pride brings destruction. The good news is God’s mercies are new every morning. We can turn from our pride right now and seek God’s mercy, humbling ourselves before God every day and desiring for Him to be glorified—never us.
