Humility is a virtue, a spiritual ornament for God’s children. The more humble we can be, the more grace we possess. Humility can be recognized by certain characteristics.
One of them is obedience to the whole Word of God. A truly humble person will never knowingly disobey or refuse to follow any of God’s commands, even in small things.
Also, a humble person does not wish to praised about his or her good qualities, nor do they want honor from people for what they have been able to accomplish through God’s help and grace. Only those who are humble, when honored by God, can receive praise without feeling great. God cannot entrust responsibility to those who become arrogant and proud.
Jesus was the most humble person to ever walk this earth. Jesus was meek and humble of heart, and yet He was great and exalted. He knew that He was God’s only Son and that judgment had been committed to Him, and yet He always gave glory to God the Father.
Paul wrote: “For in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles.” Yet, this realization was combined with humility on his part, because he adds: “though I am nothing (2 Corinthians 12:11). If someone preaches with a special anointing and brings about much good through the message but becomes proud in the process, it could easily happen that the next time this person has to preach, God will not bless the message in order to teach them humility.
The greater the responsibility and the more gifts and talents a person has, the more humility they need. If they exalt themselves, God will find a way to humble them.
When the king of Babylon became haughty and proud, God humbled him so low that he had to live among the beasts in the field until he learned humility. (See Daniel 4). No person is so high and mighty that God cannot reach him and humble him.
Saul was anointed king when he was still humble and insignificant in his own eyes. But when he exalted himself, God rejected him. Likewise, a minister who ceases to be humble will lose God’s anointing to preach, just as Saul lost his power and the godly right to rule over Israel.
One of the clearest signs of humility is a willingness to accept correction and constructive criticism, admit mistakes, and strive to overcome them without making excuses or justifying one’s behavior. If I am given good advice and do not heed it, but instead insist on my own way, that is a sign that I lack humility. Making derogatory remarks about others is also a sign of pride.
Humility will not cause us to say or do anything to get praise for ourselves and to receive honor from people. The humble person speaks of God’s blessings in order to give God the glory and honor. When God blesses our ministry, when sinners come to the Lord and are saved, when the sick are healed in answer to our prayers, then we should rejoice and we can relate what God has done to His glory. Paul told of how God worked through him, but he gave God the glory and credit for it. If we take the credit for something that God has done through us, then we lose God’s blessing.
“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3). Humility frees the soul from thinking that we are people of importance and significance. “By the grace of God I am what I am…not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
God wants to exalt and honor the humble, but He will humiliate the proud and arrogant. That is why we should clothe ourselves with humility like a precious garment that adorns us gloriously. God has promised to richly bless the spiritually poor – and this includes the truly humble.
True humility is one of the most precious gifts of the Holy Spirit. A Christian possessing humility has the testimony that he or she is a child of God. The hallmarks are contentment, peace, and submission to the will of God. When we are aware of our weakness and inadequacy, effected by humility, this allows our soul to be in the right state to have faith in God. Humility helps us to seriously reflect on the things shown us in Scripture. But it also helps us to avoid unnecessary debates about things that we cannot know.
1 Peter 5:5 tells us that “God gives grace to the humble.” Humility is necessary for all who want to enter God’s kingdom, for Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). To be converted, we need to have a humble mind and recognize our unworthiness. The gospel reveals our sinfulness and the wretchedness of human nature. It shows us that our righteousness is nothing and that we need Christ to save us.
In Jesus we have the perfect example of humility. He possessed both divine and human perfection. He humbled Himself and took on the form of a bondservant to save us and teach us to be meek and humble. Jesus says of Himself: “For I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
We can never overestimate the value of true humility, nor can we do too much in order to obtain this grace. But praise God we can come into possession of it. In fact, all God’s children must possess it. No one who is not willing to humble themselves can receive salvation. We must be willing to recognize our sinfulness, confess our sins, and leave them. If someone is too proud to do this, they will not become saved.
We also must be humble to continue in a state of grace. “As you therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). Only by walking in joyful obedience to God and complying with His requirements from day to day will we remain faithful and not lose our salvation.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us not grow weary. Let us seek and practice humility. On one occasion David said: “I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight” (2 Samuel 6:22). Let us have the attitude of John the Baptist and say: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
If we want to be useful in the service of the Lord, then we must be humble. We must recognize our own weakness and our dependence on God. He cannot use any other type of people for His service. Even if we would be able to preach like Paul and say many great and profound things, but if we did not have the right attitude of heart, knowing it is not our doing but God’s grace that gives success, then everything is just as sounding brass and a clanging cymbal. God resists the proud. He is able to use people who think little of themselves, who recognize their inability without Him, in order to shame those who are proud and think they are so clever.
Humility is desperately needed by God’s children here on earth. We need an increase of this grace, which is rare. Let us humble ourselves even more by earnest prayer and supplication. Let us do as Daniel did, who turned to the Lord God with prayer, supplication, and fasting. If we want to see God’s Kingdom grow and if we want to be successful for God, then we must lead a consecrated, humble, and prayerful life. If we earnestly seek God’s favor, He will be with us, give us the strength we need, and help us. In this way, God will be glorified and receive the honor.
“Be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).
G.T.
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