“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience” (Colossians 3:12 ESV).
So, what is humility and why is it so important?
Humility could be described as thinking less of yourself or, even, thinking of yourself less! It is when we put other peoples’ needs before our own and live and serve sacrificially. Our human nature is selfish and we are often taken up with our own plans, ideas, feelings, achievements, struggles . . . The list goes on! We might be good at helping out others but it is often when and how it suits us. We don’t like it when we are inconvenienced.
In the Bible, we see many characters who display humility to whom we can look as good examples.
Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus, describes herself in Luke 1:48 (ESV) as the Lord’s “humble . . . servant”. She does not have great thoughts about herself. Neither does she panic or get upset about being told that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Such news must have been impossible to comprehend and would have upset the plans that she had with Joseph, yet she accepts it without complaint or any record of anxiety or fear! Perhaps we are faced with circumstances outside of our control that are the very opposite of what we would like or choose. Mary’s humble reaction should challenge us to accept God’s will for our lives, not complaining about what we are experiencing or worrying about what will come, but trusting in His ultimate control and divine plan.
Moses
In Numbers 12:3, Moses is described as “very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth”. Moses was a man who did great things for God, from protecting his own people from the Egyptians and freeing them from their slavery to leading them through the wilderness until they were in sight of the Promised Land. Despite all of this, Scripture highlights his humility. Moses had a privileged upbringing – living in Pharoah’s palace, experiencing the best education and being treated like a royal – yet he did not think highly of himself. In Exodus 3:11, when told that he will lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he asks, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah?” He continues to show his humility in questioning whether he will be taken seriously (Exodus 4:1) and then his ability to speak well (Exodus 4:10). Even throughout the journey through the wilderness, Moses turns to God and acknowledges that he is not great enough for this task. We might often feel that the people we are faced with are too much for us to deal with (Exodus 17:4) but, like Moses, we can rely on God’s help and grace.
Jesus
As always, the Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example for us to look at. The Son of God left the glory and perfection of heaven to enter this sinful world. The King of kings was not found in a palace at His birth but was laid in an animal feeding trough. The perfect servant did not expect to be treated like a celebrity but “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). He was even humble enough to wash the feet of His own followers. The Creator of the universe was effectively homeless, “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). The sustainer and upholder of the earth, “in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10), was mocked, rejected, falsely tried and crucified. Every aspect of His birth, life and death demonstrates His humility, while His resurrection, ascension and future reign display His glory and greatness, “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:9). And so, like Christ, we should be satisfied with what we have been given; be prepared to suffer here on earth and pour out our all in service for Him knowing that we have a wonderful future as His redeemed people.
This might seem like a tall order. While we strive to be like our Lord and Saviour, we often struggle and fall short. How amazing to find out in Proverbs 3:34 that the Lord “gives grace to the humble”. Not only does He want us to be more like Him but He provides us with the means to do so! We also learn that showing humility brings honour, “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honour is humility” (Proverbs 15:33). Furthermore, it results in exaltation, “he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Becoming more Christ-like would be reward enough but we are further blessed with honour and exaltation. How great and how gracious our God is!
The more that we learn of Christ and get a glimpse of His glory, the more aware we become of our sinfulness and unworthiness, which should lead us to deeper humility.
