Jesus described himself with the words: “I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:29, NIV). Humility is a trait of citizens of the kingdom: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3, NIV[). If we are becoming like Christ then we will be growing in gentleness and humility. Jesus is the ideal and by the Father’s grace we can relate to others with the same gentleness and humility that he had.
This will be a huge challenge for us as we grow in Christ because we will be given positions of responsibility and we will be immediately tempted to think of ourselves or present ourselves as more mature and invulnerable than those around us. We will fear showing weakness because we might lose credibility. Specifically, we will begin to act less needy and become less teachable. We will become less willing to ask for help and less determined to seek out fellowship where we will share our weaknesses and receive ministry from others. Thus, we will cut off much of the flow of God’s Spiritual nutrition. With fewer roots to ground us and nourish us we will suffer loss, even if we don’t notice it.
We all face this temptation because humility is so offensive to our old nature. It leaves a sour taste in our soul and so we shy away from it. This is another indicator of the powerful influence that the flesh still has on us. Also, the world wants to convince us to swagger and boast. So even though we have a new self in the image of Christ and even though the Spirit of God dwells inside us and we are united to Christ we still default to our pride!
Humility may be defined as an attitude of the heart that reflects who we are before God. It won’t grow out of the habit of comparing our faults to the faults of others. The better we know God and the better we know ourselves the more humble we will be. In other words, humility is simply connecting with reality and living accordingly.
So if we desire more humility it is helpful to meditate on the surpassing majesty and perfection of God, as well as the unspeakable humility of the Son in subjecting himself to suffering on earth. Phillippians 2:3 instructs us to be humble by following Jesus’ example: “Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (NLT)
After reflecting on Jesus’ life we can also reflect on our own corruption, and failures and weaknesses. We can consider how little we have returned to God for all the grace he has given us. Consider how undisciplined and complacent we are. We can especially dwell on our lack of faith and love and humility. It should not take too long before God knocks down the upper reaches of our pride. This will return us to authentic fellowship with him.
Next week: The humility of Francis of Assissi
