The Pattern
Many believers seek aspects like provision, protection, acceptance, love, and assurance of Heaven from their Christian faith. While these desires are valid, an even greater focus should be placed on what God desires from us. The key to achieving satisfaction, purity of heart, and the full outpouring of God’s blessing is a concept often overlooked or misunderstood: humility.
Humility is the foundation that underlies every aspect of life—relationships with Jesus, family, self-understanding, and God’s acceptance. It is not about weakness, but about aligning our attitude with Christ’s.
Defining Humility: A Godly Viewpoint
Humility is a lowliness of mind that does not seek to exalt, parade, or assert itself. It is the opposite of pride, arrogance, and conceit.
True humility means having the right, balanced, proper, godly view of ourselves. It means recognizing that we are not “number one” or the superlative of anything. Instead of viewing ourselves through the lens of power, wealth, or prestige, a humble person understands that:
- God is the ultimate source of all possessions, life, and blessings.
- They are sinners saved by the grace of God.
- They will one day stand before Him and give account for their lives.
Humility is not weakness. A person can possess great wealth and prominence yet still walk in the spirit of humility because the attitude of mind is more important than what they possess. They walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, not boastful, arrogant, or assertive.
The Pattern of Christ: The Ultimate Example of Humility
The Lord Jesus Christ provided the ultimate demonstration of humility, setting the necessary pattern for believers.
The Kenosis: Emptied of Glory
Jesus, who existed in the form of God (meaning He was and is God, equal in attributes and power with the Father and Holy Spirit), did not regard equality with God as something to be tightly held onto.
Instead, He emptied Himself. This “emptying” meant laying aside His glory, majesty, and pre-eminence. The Scripture explains that Jesus, while remaining God, willingly took the form of a bondservant and was made in the likeness of men.
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. This act of obedience and humility led to His ultimate exaltation. Because He humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him, giving Him the name above every name, ensuring that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Humility in Service
Jesus embodied humility in His teachings and actions. He extended a profound invitation to those who are weary and heavy laden (tired, worn out, and burdened down), saying, “Come to Me, and I’ll give you rest“.
He described Himself as gentle and humble in heart, assuring followers that His “yoke is easy, and My burden is light”. He comes as a servant to help those who are struggling.
In a powerful demonstration on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Glory, rose from supper, laid aside His garments, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. This menial task, which should have been done by a servant or one of the disciples, showed the absolute essentiality of humility. Critically, Jesus knelt before and washed the feet of Judas, the man who would betray Him for thirty pieces of silver.
Practical Steps to Cultivate Humility
To adopt this Christ-like pattern and walk humbly before God (which is a requirement for every follower), two actions are essential:
1. Honest Self-Evaluation
Developing humility requires an honest self-evaluation. When looking inward, a person must be truthful about attitudes and habits that do not align with their identity as a child of God.
- Seeking God’s Perspective: Humility means saying, “God, I want to see myself like You see me“.
- Courage is Required: Seeing oneself honestly takes courage. If a truth about one’s life is revealed, the person knows that the One who revealed the truth is the only one who can change their life and position them for the full onslaught of His blessing.
- Rejecting Pride: The greatest obstacle is often pride, which prevents believers from achieving submission to God.
2. Obedience and Submission
The ultimate expression of humility is submission, surrender, and obedience to God’s way. Humility is about laying down personal ways, reservations, inhibitions, desires, plans, and dreams, and declaring, “God, I want what You want“.
Humility is not something done once, nor is it easy or quick to achieve. However, when submission becomes voluntary, and the believer can rejoice in wanting God’s way no matter the cost, they have begun to understand humility.