The Truth About Humility
According to the dictionary, humility is defined as: humbleness of mind, modesty, sense of insignificance. Humble is defined as: of a low, unpretending character; lowly, modest, meek.
James 4:6 (NIV) says:
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:7 (KJV) continues on to say:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submit means to come under God and His authority, His care. The humble person will trust God.
James 4:10 (NIV) says:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
A humble person has the right view of God, others and self. Humility mean you don’t think higher of yourself than you ought. You don’t see yourself as better than others. However, humility also means that you don’t think lower of yourself. In other words, you don’t put yourself down, thinking that you are less than other people. God wants us to think about ourselves and others the way that He does- according to the Word.
As we renew our minds to God’s Word, we will think with a more humble mind. A renewed mind thinks God’s thoughts. (Romans 12:2, Isaiah 55:6-13)
The humble person depends on God and the finished work of Christ. It is not self-effort, trying to make things happen. The humble ask God for help. This gets God involved so He can make a way or meet a need. Then the humble person does not take credit, but gives all the glory to God. The humble man or woman knows without Jesus that he is nothing, bbut also knows that with Jesus his life is important.
A humble person is not one who pretends to be something. In other words, with the truly humble person, what you see is what you get. They oppose hypocrisy and avoid anything that would portray them as something they are not.
The humble person will keep himself (or herself) humble, working to stay submitted to God. This person looks to God to lift him up, to promote him and therefore does not attempt to do any self-promoting. The more humble we can stay, the higher God can take us. The humble will always put others first and seeks to be a servant.
Well, I could go on and on, but you get the point. Remember, God never forgets the humble, and in the end the humble will rule with Jesus Christ.
