“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
Rick Warren, pastor and author
Humility is a dirty word. At least that’s the impression I get from observing the society around me. Something in people recoils from it, and I’m hardly immune. For example, as I go through my day, the first thought that crosses my mind in any given situation is often far from humble. I sometimes shake my head and wonder, “Where did that prideful thought come from?” I’m relieved that no one can read my mind.
Nonetheless, God calls us to be humble (ouch!). But to understand what he wants from us, we need to clarify the term, because many misunderstandings surround it.
Let’s start by looking at what humility is not. It doesn’t mean being a doormat, putting ourselves down, or having low self-esteem. When the Bible describes mankind, it never denigrates our dignity despite pointing out our sin, and neither should we. God values us more than we value ourselves. After all, he died for us.
Humility has everything to do with our attitude toward God and others. When it comes to our Creator, we are humble when we acknowledge his greatness compared to our smallness. We admit that God is the potter and we are the clay. Or, in modern terms, God is the computer programmer, and we are the program.
As for our relationships with those around us, humility means recognizing the intrinsic worth of others and acknowledging that we are no better than anyone else. When we think this way, we have no problem serving those who need help or celebrating the accomplishments of those who succeed. It doesn’t mean we can never think about our needs, but it does mean we don’t think only about ourselves.
An online dictionary I checked defined humility as “having a modest opinion or estimate of one’s importance, rank, etc.” But I think a better definition would use the word “correct” instead of “modest.” The Lord doesn’t want us to think ill of ourselves but rather to have an accurate view of who we are.
Why should we even want to be humble? It seems wrong to wonder, “What’s in it for us?” but it’s a valid question. Well, first, the fact that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1) might be a good reason. Pride pits us in opposition to God because it makes us puff up our own importance and independence from him. Approaching God with humility, on the other hand, allows us to receive the grace we need for any particular situation. Which side would you rather be on?
Second, humility enables us to love others more fully. Just read the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13: patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong, etc. Is it possible to meet these criteria without first having a humble attitude? I don’t think so.
If we want an example of what humility looks like, we need look no further than Jesus. All his relationships were grounded in truth. He knew who he was, who God the Father was, and the strength and nature of their bond. Yet he looked beyond himself to serve humanity in love, and ultimately he gave his life for you and me.
(1) James 4:6