He was a scholar. A man well informed and of great intellect… possessing a PhD. And every word he had to say, I listened to intently. After all, he was my professor – a respected expert on “The Good Life”, and I had paid a hefty tuition to sit in his class, listening to his lectures on character and happiness. But still… something inside me was ignited to disagreement on the day he spoke these words: “Out of all the virtues in the world, humility is the one of least value to individuals.”
It’s not that I found his statement to be false. Rather something deep inside of me opposed the truth of it.
It’s true that we – as a society – place little-to-no-value on cultivating humility. It’s true that our notion of self is inflated by a culture that incessantly invites us to follow 3 easy steps designed to make us "better", happier people. A culture that enables us to pat ourselves on the back for almost every half-a$$ thing we do. A culture that has spun the concept of American Idol into a form of entertainment, further driving people into a frenzy of success-seeking behaviors. A culture where people go to great strides to be worshipped and adored by other people.
But if elevating one’s status is the priority of an entire nation, then it should come as no surprise that so many people are suffering from an identity crisis. If everyone’s trying to become someone else, looking ahead to the future, then how can anyone know who they are in the present?
Beyond that, most people are completely ignorant of the true meaning of humility. Some have even twisted the virtue into something that celebrates sadistic self-hatred. So, if we don’t have an accurate definition for something, how could we ever have an accurate view of it's value?
To be completely honest, before the race, all I knew about humility is that it's something I should desire, because the Bible seems to mention it a lot. But over the last few months, God has gifted me with a revelation about my true identity. Now more than ever before in my life, I know exactly who I am… because I know exactly who He is! And out of knowing my identity, I finally understand the true meaning and value of cultivating humility.
Humility’s not about thinking less of myself; it’s about thinking more of my God. Really, tangibly KNOWING, revering and appreciating the greatness and majesty of my Abba, my King – and knowing full well that I am the King's beloved daughter. Humility is about embracing my position as part of His royal bloodline and walking in the authority of that identity. It's recognizing that we are heirs of His majestic kingdom… yet servants anointed to do the work of His hands.
“You have made them (mankind) a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet” Psalm 8:5-6
There’s a freedom in that kind of identity. A freedom in knowing the aristocracy to wh
ich we’ve been adopted into. A freedom that enables us to become exactly who God’s created us to be – Noble Servants: heirs to the royal throne of God who are compelled by the supernatural love of the Father to reveal the depths of His great affections for people by humbly serving them. Servants… clothed in rags… ready to do the King's work, yet crowned as heirs of His Kingdom. Servants draped in a noble humility.
And what I've come to learn is that when viewed through the right lens, a worldly contradiction becomes perfectly entwined; humility and nobility are actually quite inseparable as one gives life to the other. Without standing firm in the knowledge of your noble identity – your bloodline, your inheritance – as the King’s child, you cannot wholly act from a place of deep humility. Neither without acting out of a place of humility, desiring to be a servant and lover of God and His people, can you walk in nobility.
As we gain an accurate understanding of who our God truly is – His self-sufficiency, His majesty, His gracious, flawless character, and His great, unending love for us (Ephesians 3:17-18) – we begin to understand our identity in Him. By coming to know Him through studying His Word we begin to know ourselves.
And it's by truly knowing our royal identity that He enables us to bow before Him… in our rags and crowns… as Noble Servants… and experience the richness of the (true) "good life".
Abba, thank you so much for your great love which compels me to hunger for You all the more. Thank you for always teaching me new and wonderful revelations about your awesome mysteries. Thank you for revealing yourself – your perfect, lovely character – through Your precious, life-giving Word. Thank you for showing me my true, beautiful identity. Thank you for choosing me to be heir to your royal throne. Thank you for gifting me with… the good life.
All My Love,
Your Little Princess
“You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” Isaiah 62:3
“For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 149:4
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” James 4:10
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
“For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Luke 22:27
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8
