Humility

May 2020

Obviously, you read the title of this post and clicked on it for a reason––maybe you felt led by Holy Spirit or maybe you are just bored, looking for something good to read. No matter how you came across this, no matter who you are or where you come from, this is for YOU!

Let's get right to the point: what is humility? Humility is surrender or the act of humbling ourself in submission to God.

 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

(1 Peter 5:6)

When we humble ourselves before God, not seeking selfish gain or exaltation, He will lift us up in humility with Him. Humbling ourselves is the act of giving EVERYTHING to God, not holding anything back.

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

(James 4:6)

Holding emotions, thoughts, sin, habits, and or love from God is prideful. We can not have humility without humbling ourselves or giving Him our all. Once we look into His eyes, we won't want to hide anything from Him.

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Watching the evil and the good."

(Proverbs 15:3)

We can not fully abide in Him if we are not given fully to Him. Nothing can bind us when we are in God. Being captivated by the love of God removes all room to be captivated by anything this world has to offer. Why waste life living dead in this world when we can be alive in the pure humility of Christ, seated with Him in Heavenly places?

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Now, let's focus on three key attributes of those who walk in humility:

1. Humble People serve

C.S. Lewis described humility like this:

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

To walk in humility, we must not think lowly of ourselves (that is low self–esteem which is pride), but think of ourselves less and others more. If we are self–focused all the time, we can not serve others or God. Let us be challenged daily to serve others and serve God in love. As we look to God more than ourselves, we can rightly serve others.

"Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

(Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)

Jesus demonstrated the greatest act of servanthood on the cross. We should look to Jesus as our Teacher to show us how to walk in humility through servanthood.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

(Matthew 20:28)

Servanthood is a gift from God for us to give to others. Jesus is not our servant, but He taught us how to serve God and man. However, if we can't serve God rightly, we can't serve others rightly.

2. Humble People Influence Humility in Others

Our job is not to humble others (that would be control and manipulation), but we point them to Jesus and to the cross where ultimate humility is found. Humility always points to Jesus, because Jesus is Humility!

If Christians, especially those in leadership positions, do not point to Jesus in everything they do, they will not set a good example for you and I to follow. True God-breathed leaders of humility show great integrity, purity, and excellence (not worldly perfection, but divine anointing by Holy Spirit).

When people see humility, they are drawn to it. Why? Because when Jesus is in us and we are freed from bondage by humility, others will want to follow us to find freedom for themselves. In this, we must be ready to give an account to others that points them to the freedom of humility in Jesus.

"But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully."

(1 Peter 3:15 AMPC)

3. Humble People are Completely Secure in God

Insecurity is an overdose of selfishness and a lack of faith in God. Those who are secure in God are made humble.

What does it look like to be secure in God? To be secure in Him, we must be humble. If we have given everything to God in humility, knowing we are nothing without Him, why wouldn't we trust that He has everything under control?

It is easy to say, "Well, God has everything in the palm of His hand. I have nothing to worry about." When we truly understand that God will work all things together for our good, we will not allow insecurities to separate us from Him.

Complete security in God looks like something: that something is trust. Fear (which is insecurity) keeps us from trusting in God. Humility will let go of fear, while selfishness will feed on fear.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

(1 John 4:18)

Let's continue to rid ourselves of pride and cling to humility in order to have security in God, because He is everything. God is our Rock, our Foundation, our Source! If we give all we are to the Lord, what do we have to loose?

"We are not our own, but His."

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.“

(Matthew 6:25-34)

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