Essential Chrisitan Humility

What is Humility?
Humility has to do with honor. Honor is the respect we desire from others. When we do not receive the respect we feel we deserve, then we are humbled. We are in the one-down position—someone else has honor or respect over us. This is not acceptable to many of us. The virtue of humility means that we accept the position of being disrespected. If we are disrespected, that is okay with us. Of course, none of us can live in a state of disrespect. We all desire to have respect in our lives, and though we can’t always have it, ultimately, we will do all we can do to get it. That is how our minds work.

In Christian humility, however, we realize that we can receive honor even in our humility. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek” – or humbled—“for they will inherit the earth.” Those practicing Christian humility realize that God listens to and rewards the humble more than other people. Those who are disrespected for God on earth have God’s respect, and He will grant them honor, not only now in the heavens, but eternally. Thus, those who are dishonored now for the Lord can take confidence that God is Himself balancing the disrespect they receive with honor.

Many people have recordings going on in their heads, letting them know if what they are doing is honorable or dishonorable. Perhaps they are thinking of their family’s standards, or their friends’. The follower of Jesus, however, has the Holy Spirit speaking to them of what is honorable or dishonorable. If a Christian gives sacrificially to the needy, and those around the giver might accuse him or her of being irresponsible or weak-hearted. But the Holy Spirit would be encouraging one to sacrifice oneself for others, and telling Christians that God would honor one with greater treasure in replacement for the sacrifice.

The Practice of Humility
Humility isn’t just an ideal, that is hard to get one’s life around. It is very practical, and deals with our daily lives. Below are the principles of humility found in the New Testament, to help us navigate how we will live out humility in our lives:

Don’t insist on your rights
Though I have complete freedom, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I might gain more. (I Corinthians 9:19)
In our country, we emphasize freedom and liberty to do what we need to do so that we can be ourselves. We insist upon our rights so we can claim to be truly free. While we really do have the rights that our country gives us, freedom to do and say many things that makes us feel good and be who we really are, often God asks us to set aside these rights. For the sake of others, we may need to set aside our needs and desires. Perhaps we need to set aside our right to defend ourselves against slander or harm, in order to assist another (Mark 14:55-61). Perhaps we need to set aside a right to do as we please so another might not fall into sin (I Corinthians 8:13). Perhaps we need to set aside our right to speak so no one would not be harmed by our words (Ecclesiastes 5:6). We must look at our rights as something that we can have or set aside, depending on the situation.

Don’t seek greatness in the world
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you.” Mark 10:42-43
To be important in this world, you have to show that you are already important. You need degrees, titles and honors so that you can gain greater and greater significance in the world. To be a politician, one must put oneself forward. To be an executive, you have to already show yourself to be significant in business. To gain all but the lowest jobs, you have to show your “experience.” God wishes to give you great positions and honor, but to insist upon one’s own abilities and to gather many titles actually causes one to lose the possibility of advancement in God’s kingdom. Jesus tells us not to seek titles (Matthew 23:8-11) or honors (Luke 14:8-11) and as Christians we are not to boast in our accomplishments or abilities (Philippians 3:4-7).

Boast of your incapacities
If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. II Corinthians 11:30
Does this mean that we cannot boast at all? Oh, no. We are certainly able to boast, but not in our accomplishments or honors. Rather, we can boast in what we are unable to do. If we boast in our weaknesses and inabilities and those who have rejected us and the pain we endure, then we can see God’s work all the more clear. That does not mean that we should create a persona of “false humility”. We shouldn’t claim stupidity or rejection that we have never actually experienced. But we should speak of how God has fulfilled our weaknesses so we have been able to be who we are through his strength. (II Corinthians 12:9)

Repent of your sins
Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away. Acts 3:19
It is not easy to speak of one’s faults. It is humiliating to apologize, especially if you didn’t make all the mistakes. It is difficult to admit wrong, if no one else admits it first. But the Lord desires us to do just that. He wants us to humble ourselves and admit our sin, and then we will be forgiven. Without that humility, we will never be right before God. (Luke 18:9-14)

Honor the lowly
Those of the body which we deem less honorable, these we grant more abundant honor. I Corinthians 12:23
There are many among us that are considered unimportant or unacceptable. They are in this place, not because of sin, but because of some social “fault” or misunderstanding. You know how it goes—if you hang with the “in” crowd, then you can be “in”. But if you hang with the “out” crowd, then you will be rejected too. But Jesus gave us an example to hang with the “out” crowd (Mark 2:15-17). We need to find those socially unacceptable people, and serve them, support them and grant them a place of honor that others would not do (James 2:5-6; Luke 15). Also, we need to treat those who are under us in honor with greater honor than ourselves—our children, our employees, our spouses, they all need to be treated with greater honor than we ourselves expect from others (Philippians 2:3)

Do demeaning tasks
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
If we want God’s honor, we have to do the work associated with humility. There are things we don’t want to do, that we think we shouldn’t have to do. And that’s what God is asking us to do to gain his honor. He wants us to do the work that is helpful but unpleasant. He wants us to accept the unacceptable tasks for the sake of everyone. (Philippians 2:4-5)

Submit to unjust authorities
“Do not resist an evil authority.” Matthew 5:39
One last thing, God insists that we humble ourselves before those who want to show us how important they are by making us crawl. Yes, they are irritating. Yes, they are sooooo wrong. Yes, they have no right to treat us the way they do. But God asks us to submit to it anyway. Why is this? Because God likes to see us humiliated? No. It is because he wants to see in reality who is really righteous. If we rebel against an unjust authority, then the lines of right and wrong are fuzzy. Perhaps we deserved to be punished. But if we submit when we did nothing wrong, then God knows who is right and who is wrong. And who will be ultimately punished. (Matthew 5:38-41; Romans 12:19-21)


Humble yourself and God will honor you.