Humility is a godly character trait that is in short supply in our world. Humility is not thinking low of ourselves, it is not cowering down and allowing others to trample over us, but it is a state of not thinking of ourselves at all. It is placing all our trust in God, knowing that if I submit and do all He desires of me He will take care of me. It is dethroning myself and placing God in His rightful place as my King. Jesus is our greatest example of humility. In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul reminds us that Jesus, God in the flesh did not think Himself to be equal to God the Father. He came to earth and took on a human body. He did not come as a King, which He could have, but came as a servant. In verse 8, He humbled Himself and obeyed the Father by dying for the sins of the world. Because of His love for us, He was willing to build the bridge between mankind and a Holy God.
Philippians 2:6-8 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
To get a better understanding of what humility is we need to look at its opposite. Pride is the opposite of humility. It is a sin God hates, yet we have allowed it into our churches and our lives just like the world. We think it’s ok because we are proud of “good” things. We talk about how proud we are of our kids, our accomplishments, and especially our grandkids. Yet, the Bible says pride is evil, it is a sin that God hates.
Look at where God ranks pride. In I John 2:16, there are three categories all sin will fall in one of the three. The pride of life is listed as one. In Mark 7:21-23, God gives us a list of sins that “defile the man,” the pride of life is on the list.
I John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
While we may think an attitude of pride is acceptable, it is a sin that God hates. It is an abomination to God. The word abomination means it is disgusting. Our pride is disgusting to God. It carries the feeling of arousing revulsion or strong indignation. Pride is a sin we will fight all of our lives. It is at the base of our sinful nature. It was at the heart of Satan when he rose up against God in Heaven. It clouds our thinking, but when humility wins over pride, God is exalted and takes His rightful place in our hearts. God hates pride because it takes credit for what God has done. In Job 38:1-40:1, we see a conversation between God and Job. Job is beginning to murmur and complain. God starts a lengthy dialogue where He points out to Job that He has no right to question Him or complain about what He has allowed. In summary, He is saying to Job “who do you think you are, where were you when I created all things and performed all miracles?”
Proverbs 16:5a “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD:”
Humility is also a requirement for the healing of our land, hearing and answering our prayers.
II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
James 4:6 teaches us that God gives more grace to the humble, but He resists the proud.
In Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride will bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Nothing will take us lower than pride and nothing will lift us higher than humility. God works through the humble. God cannot and will not use us when we are too much about ourselves and not enough about Him. In Philippians 2:3-5, Paul teaches us how humility should be our attitude about ourselves and toward others. I think verse 5 sums it up. We are to have the mind of Christ, the humblest of all.
Philippians 2:3-5 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
