Humility
Humility can be a very misunderstood word and idea. For some, it means self-deprecation (Putting oneself down and possessing a shallow opinion of oneself.) For others, it means being clearly in touch with one’s unworthiness compared to another.
According to the dictionary, it is defined as a modest or low view of one’s own importance. It gives an example of “He needs the humility to accept that their way may be better.”
If we were to work from the dictionaries point of view and, instead of “others’ way,” used God’s word and way, we might be getting closer to how heaven might define humility.
The Bible counsels us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. How do you do that? Is it possible that the way of not thinking more highly of yourself lies in making sure your opinion of yourself agrees with what God says about you?
When someone struggles with the idea of humility, they might also struggle with what Jesus spoke when He said,
Luke 7:28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Jesus is saying that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest prophet ever born among women. That’s a pretty straightforward, bold statement. For many, it might be a controversial statement because they cannot reconcile such a statement with their idea of how they should demonstrate humility. Their concept of humility does not allow them to accept this declaration of Jesus.
The problem with such a concept of humility is that it allows an idea of themselves to interfere with an explicit declaration from God about them. That is the opposite of true humility.
Moses wrote Numbers in the Bible, and he said Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth.)
There’s no way this would have always been true of Moses because we witness his struggle with humility when God first calls him to go and deliver his people from Egypt.
Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses said, “Who and I,” and that may be perceived as Moses being full of humility, but is it really humility? God just told Moses the purpose He created Moses for, and Moses is debating with God about His wisdom in doing so. Discussing with the ultimate wisdom there ever was or will ever be is not humility. Moses is debating and questioning God’s choice because Moses sees himself according to the natural as opposed to listening to what God says He sees. The whole time God is answering Moses’ questions about how Moses is hoping it will change God’s mind about sending him to start with. It culminates with Moses trying to point out to God what he believes is his inability to speak with any eloquence, and it would appear Moses is thinking that should disqualify him from being the one God would send.
Exodus 4:14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Moses did not start out as a confident, self-assured man ready in his mind to be a great deliverer of a people held in bondage by the current world power. Egypt, at that time, was the greatest nation on earth. Moses may have also thought he knew that going back could mean a death sentence for him. Moses initially resisted God, and his resistance was masked with false humility. False because it was a view that did not agree with God’s view.
We know how it ended; Moses submitted and came around to God’s opinion because he went to Egypt and spoke to Pharaoh, and God delivered Israel from their bondage to Egypt through Moses, just as He declared He would do.
Do you know what God says about you now that you have come to Jesus and are under the New Covenant? Are you living in agreement with the truth about your becoming a new creation in Christ? Have you accepted His report about you being more than an overcomer through Christ?
I encourage you to discover what He says and agree with it. Agreeing with God is the highest form of humility and produces the fruit of obedience. Looking at yourself according to the natural thinking it is being humble is not an act of humility. It is a subtle form of rebellion. Looking at yourself according to what God says about you in Christ is true humility. Be humble today and agree with what he says about you despite what you think about yourself otherwise.
