A Precious Word From God
And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5b
When I think about pride, the opposite of humility, it reminds me of an overly -inflated balloon. A mere touch can cause it to burst! When we are proud, we are very close to bursting and dont even realize it. Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. To eliminate the risk of a fall, test your humility. Otherwise, God may use a fall to humble you.
What is humility? It is a correct estimation of who you are in light of who God is it means being without pretension. One dictionary says this about humility:
It by no means implies slavishness or servility nor is it inconsistent with a right estimate of oneself, one’s gifts and calling of God, or with proper self-assertion when called for. But the habitual frame of mind of a child of God is that of one who feels not only that he owes all his natural gifts, etc., to God, but that he has been the object of undeserved redeeming love, and who regards himself as being not his own, but God’s in Christ. He cannot exalt himself, for he knows that he has nothing of himself. The humble mind is thus at the root of all other graces and virtues.5
How To Be Humble
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“It’s hard to be humble,” says an old country song, “when you’re perfect in every way.” Of course, few people actually think they’re perfect in every way. But it can still be pretty hard to be humble, especially if you live in a society that encourages competition and individuality. Yet even in such a culture, humility remains an important virtue. Learning to be humble is of paramount importance in most spiritual traditions, and humility can help you develop more fully and enjoy richer relationships with others, as well as create opportunities and earn you respect.
Who Is Wise And Understanding Among You Let Him Show By Good Conduct That His Works Are Done In The Meekness Of Wisdom
Genuine humility is not self-help or a life hack, but a response to divine initiative and help. – David Mathis
Good conduct is like showing good ethics. In everything we do, we ought to do it with integrity, submitting humbly to God, His law and His will in any given situation.
Lying, cheating, swearing or doing anything slyly in the light of work, finance or relationships shows arrogance and shows no fear or respect for God. This is the opposite of Humility.
Relying on yourself and using unethical means to do things are very unwise because we serve a God who sees all things and blesses those who truly strive for righteousness and to follow His ways. Choose a path of meekness.
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Thank God Often And Always
Thankfulness stops pride growing. We can thank people for things that they do and who they are, and thats important and encouraging for them. But were to thank God for that person, for the way he has worked in them. Thankfulness is a sign of a believer. Whereas ingratitude one of the distinguishing marks of non-believers.2
If youre struggling with feeling thankful to God at this time, try and think of just one thing each day to be thankful for. It might be that you have enough food, or the weather, or something that happened at Bible study. Thank God for one thing after someone has visited you, or you have visited them. Thank God for one thing in your friend or your child, or in your spouse, your church or your local community.
In the constant act of thanksgiving, the relationship with God is nurtured. Through thanksgiving, the gracious acts are remembered and the life of a person is thereby changed.3
God-centred thankfulness helps us grow in humility, as it stops pride growing.
Ways To Humble Yourself According To The Bible
Recognize ones sinfulness before a Holy God. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, a man called by God, yet so aware of his sinfulness in the presence of an Almighty Holy God teaches us how to humble ourselves. The key is to move forward in what God has called us to do while we maintain an awareness of his holiness and might. He tells the ocean how far it can go. He paints the sky twice a day. He makes our lungs fill with air and our hearts to beat. He alone does this. We are the recipients of his power.
Obedience plays a part in humbling ourselves. It teaches us that we dont always know best, but as we lean in and listen, we learn from him. Sometimes he nudges us to give up a habit or start a new one and we resist. But when we lean into his grace and say yes, we grow in our faith. He works in us as we depend on him to fulfill that yes.
Prayer is a powerful way to humble yourself.2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us how humbling ourselves through prayer opens the door to God moving on our behalf. We can pray throughout the day as well as having a specific time to pray. One way to really bring humility alive in our hearts is to bow, kneel, or lay face down on the floor and pray. Lowering our physical bodies turns our hearts towards emptying ones self and laying aside our desire for glory.
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Humility Is The Key To Progress
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6-8, 10. God works according to laws. It is a natural law that if we humble ourselves under Gods mighty hand, surrendering our own will and honor, then He will give us the grace that we need to live a Christian life in truth, as well as exalt us in His time.
To be humble is to have the same mindset as Jesus Christ. He existed in the form of God, but did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, or held onto. Instead, He took on the form of a servant, and came in the likeness of men. And, being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:7-8.
Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. He did not value His own self-importance or honor, but freely gave it up in every situation so that Gods will could be carried out and God could be glorified through His life.
Therefore Clothe Yourself With Humility
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
First-century people were used to ordering life through simple cultural perspectives. How they treated one another was based on religious, ethnic, and vocational considerations. From a kingdom perspective, Christ is all and in all. And Paul wants that to be our motivating perspective when dealing with one another. This means that were not taking pride in many of the things that our culture promotes: race, socio-economic status, citizenship, possessions, etc.
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You Can Handle Unfair Treatment Peacefully When You Are Humble
You can respond to unfair treatment without becoming bitter. Godly humility means you do not feel a need for vengeance or revenge.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Humble Yourself Now Or God Will Humble You Later
The easy way is humbling yourself. The hard way is God having to humble you.
10. Matthew 23:10-12 And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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Clothe Yourself In Humility
Be shepherds of Gods flock that is under your care, watching over them-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
God opposes the proudbut shows favor to the humble.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under Gods mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
The community of God is intended to function with a foundation of mutual respect and submission. Here Peter points out that the shepherds of Gods flock shouldnt place themselves above the people they serve, but younger people need to submit to older ones. Peter caps this thought off by telling his readers that if they humble themselves, God will exalt them.
Its essential to note that Peter isnt simply talking about lifting them up as individuals here. This is a letter to the church. Hes telling them that as the body of Christ chooses to interact humbly with one another, God elevates the entire church.
Let Nothing Be Done Through Selfish Ambition Or Conceit But In Lowliness Of Mind Let Each Esteem Others Better Than Himself Let Each Of You Look Out Not Only For His Own Interests But Also For The Interests Of Others
When we think of ourselves only, we ignore the poor, we ignore those who desperately need help. In a life where everyone is for themselves, we see chaos, crime rising and darkness taking over.
In a world where we literally sacrifice ourselves for the good of others, we see hearts change, we see nations submitting to God and we see true revival.
We see the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Generosity, people giving more than they need to, we see love, people crying for each other, praying for one another and feeding each other. This is the Kingdom we serve, the Kingdom of goodness, love, mercy and unforgettable grace that changes the lives of all around us.
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What Does It Mean To Humble Yourself In The Bible
- Aaron BrownContributing Author
Our actions say a lot about our level of humility. Whether we have some or none, theres always room for growth in the life of a sinner. Make the choice to humble yourself today.
Humility is one of those words thats easy to use, but difficult to understand. A great many of us would claim to be humble without realizing what the word really entails. We point to ourselves and say, Hey, Im humble, but the act of intentionally pointing to ourselves for attention or admiration is just the opposite.
In an age of tweets, hashtags, and selfies, our comprehension of humility has fallen to the wayside. The definition hasnt changed, but the word has lost its significance to us as a society. However, humility remains important, especially to the believer in their walk with the Lord. We know this because the Bible has plenty to say about humility.
What exactly does Scripture say? We need to humble ourselves in order to honor God, and with humility comes various blessings. The word is either mentioned or referenced at least 100 times throughout the Good Book. And each time helps us build our understanding of the concept.
After reviewing some of these verses we can answer the question, what does it mean to humble yourself in the Bible? What we will discover in these passages is how to add more humility to our own walks with God.
Stop Putting Everything On Your Shoulders
Ive noticed lately in the majority of my conversations with people that everyone is tired. Were busy. Were weary. Were taking on a lot of responsibilities. Were working hard for our families. Were trying to attend as many social events as possible. Were trying to pay the bills as best as we can. Were just trying to get by.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus doesnt seem to be talking about a life that is full of anxiousness and weariness as we follow Him. He makes a point to state the exact opposite on how we can find rest in Him. He is speaking to those that labor and are heavy laden.
I cant speak for you personally, but I know for a fact that we are all suffering from this. We are working too hard. We are thinking way too much mentally. We are putting things on our shoulders that dont belong there. We are forgetting what Jesus said and what He has done when we feel that its all on us to get things to happen. Most of the time, were probably putting so much effort into the wrong things all together .
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What Does The Bible About Humility
You cannot get through your Christian walk of faith without being humble. Without humbleness you will not be able to do Gods will. Even when He convicts you in prayer you will say Im not going to do that. You will make every excuse in the world. Pride can eventually lead to making mistakes, financial ruin, and more.
I know because there was a time when pride almost caused me to miss out on one of Gods blessings and end up in ruin. Without humility you will end up going into the wrong door instead of the door that God has placed for you.
Humility is from God. He had to humble Himself, but yet we dont want to humble ourselves. Even as a Christian my flesh does not want to be humble. I cant say that I am a humble person.
I struggle in this area. My only hope is in Christ. The source of true humility. God is working in me to make me more humble. Through different situations it is awesome to see God bringing out the fruits of meekness from my life. God needs more humble men and women in this wicked generation. Look at these Christian bookstores that have books by professing Christians that have a title like how to look like me and how to be successful like me.
Bible Verses About Be Humble
He has told you, O man, what is good And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justice, to love kindness,And to walk humbly with your God?
But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, move up higher then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.
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Some Final Thoughts On Humility In The Bible
My favorite quote about humility speaks to its importance to Christian living. It was at the beginning of this article. Its so good, Ill share it again.
Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. St Augustine
To me, humility is so vital to Christian living even to becoming a Christian that I made it one of the first lessons in my first two Parenting in Christ bible study guides. In fact, this post includes excerpts from Parenting in Christ: Treasures For Parenting From Jesus. If you want to dig deeper into Christian humility, I highly recommend checking them out & reading through the lessons.And as one final reminder, the very best way to teach humility to your children is by example. They will be tremendously blessed if you live into the humility of Christ in front of them.
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Why Is It Important That Christians Repeatedly Humble Themselves Before The Lord
Its hard to hear God when we stand tall and proud declaring, I can do it myself. But we need him. This life holds troubles that vary in intensity based on the seasons of life we find ourselves in. God gives us wisdom and he directs our steps. We need to recognize our need for him in every aspect of our lives and to come humbly to receive his grace, strength, and power for living.
Another reason why we need to make humbling ourselves before the Lord a regular practice is because of the two-sided reality of following Christ. We are complete in Christ, yet we are becoming more like him. We have the status of kings and the duties of a servant. We know the presence of Christ but experience the pressure of sin. We are made right with God through Christ, yet we experience daily problems where we fail to make the right choices. Humbling ourselves before the Lord helps us not to grow discouraged by this two-sided reality, but to rely on Gods power to help us overcome.
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