When I first started reading the Bible, the concept of humility confused me a lot. I didn’t get how to be humble without looking down on myself, or why meekness was celebrated in Christianity. I had been made fun of in school for being too weak and now I’m being told to strive for it? Still, the Word was littered with mentions of humility:
Micah 6:8 // Our Lord requires us to be humble
Psalm 25:8-9 // The humble are taught the ways of our Lord
Matthew 11:29-30 // Our King Jesus is humble in heart
James 3:13 // Humility comes from wisdom
Proverbs 22:4 // Humility is fearing our Lord
Colossians 3:12 // We are to clothe ourselves in humility along with compassion, kindness, gentleness + patience
In order to understand why exactly the Word has so much about humility, I think we need to first understand where sin comes from. Let’s take a look at the Ten Commandments, our basic foundation for the Law:
1. You shall have no other gods before the Lord
2. You shall not worship idols
3. You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord
4. You shall keep the Sabbath day
5. You shall honor your father and mother
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor
10.You shall not covet what your neighbor has
In all these commandments, you can link the desire to break them back to selflishness.
1. + 2. It is selfish to want a god that works on your own time-frame and that caters to your desires
3. Speaking the Lord’s name in vain is selfish in that it usually comes from a desire to look like your peers or from a lack of respect for God, which is reflective of your own puffed-up view of yourself (or both!)
4. We get so caught up in being busy and constantly productive for our own gain that we don’t slow down and dedicate rest to our Lord
5. We want what we want and when we want it, rather than honoring the desires of our parents
6. We selfishly think we have the authority to give and take life
7. We want whatever we can’t have and believe that other people are simply tools meant to serve our own desires
8. We think we have some sort of right to take from others because we supposedly will benefit more
9. We relish in the personal gain that comes from spreading rumors and lies instead of considering the harm it brings
10. Rather than rejoicing in all that God has blessed others with, we selfishly wish we had their blessings instead
This works for the New Testament, too. Jesus says the greatest of the laws are to love the Lord with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:36-40) Love and selfishness don’t mix. They are like oil and water. Love is inherently selfless. Parents show love by giving their money, food and homes to their children. Spouses show love by compromising and putting aside their egos. Friends show love by giving their time to their friends.
The more I realize that all sin stems from selfishness, the less odd it becomes that humility is so present in the Bible. In fact, humility is the only normal way for us to live. And, guess what?? Sin is abnormal! Sin and selfishness have no part in God’s plans and desires for His world! Because sinfulness and humility are such perfect opposites, any turn away from sin is a turn towards humility.
Now, I know this has been a lot of talk about sin, but let me fill you in on a secret: sin has no power. So little power, in fact, that it isn’t even what draws us into humility the most. We don’t become humble before our God because we are so sinful and are wallowing in shame, but because of grace. “Who bows down the lowest before Jesus’ feet? It’s the people He has led out of their sinfulness and filled with awe at their glorious God as their Creator and Redeemer.”* The fact that Jesus considers our selfish pride in the light of His selfless love is enough to bring even the strongest and the mightiest to their knees. Just as any turn away from sin is a turn towards humility, any recognition of the vastness of grace is a face to the floor in astounded humility!
grace + peace
If you liked what you read here and feel led to partner with me on mission – please feel free to support me by praying for me, subscribing to this blog and by donating! Just click the orange donate button at the top of this page or check out my store.
