Christian Living

The Essence of Humility

by Frederick Blue 
06/23/19
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All things are created by God and he is the benefactor of everything that is good, righteous, holy and pure.  We as creation our beneficiaries of what God has bestowed upon us since the beginning of creation.  The Bible validates this in the book of John, Chapter 1. In that chapter (New Living Translation), starting at verse one, it states:  1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He existed in the beginning with God.³ God created everything through him,and nothing was created except through him. Through Him we are made in His image and inherit love, beauty and morality, to name a few.  Humility tends not to be one of those Godly traits that is innately assumed or embraced by creation.  We do not fully understand the impact and effect of sin entering the world and how it can sometimes hinder our ability to be obedient to what God commands and expects of us.  God continually has revealed attributes of Himself throughout history and the more we spend time with Him, we understand more about His nature and the Master Teacher provides us with ample opportunity to learn.  

 According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of humility is “the freedom from pride or arrogance; the quality or state of being humble.”   God’s example of humility takes it to a whole new level and is provided to us in the book of Philippians, Chapter 2, verses 5-11.  Here we see the Apostle Paul, who is credited with the authorship of this book cites:  ⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.⁶ Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges^b]">[b];he took the humble position of a slave^c]">[c] and was born as a human being.When he appeared in human form,^d]">[d]8 he humbled himself in obedience to Godand died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  So Paul shows as that Jesus, although equal with the Father and Holy Spirit (the triune Godhead), humbled Himself to become flesh (through His incarnation) to carry out God’s plan for redemption.  There is no better example, nor will there ever be, than what Christ displayed during His earthly ministry.  He remained obedient, even to the lowly death on Calvary’s cross so that we may have a path and relationship to God. 

When we think of the eternal impact of Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection, we need to understand the importance of the role humility played in the process.  Without it, we may have not ever had a path to redemption and could have remained in perpetual condemnation.  Even today and throughout history, those who have claimed to be saved and to know God in a personal and intimate way, have not practiced or embraced humility.  How has this godly attribute been reflected in your own life?  Too many Christians today have exhibited more arrogance and are living rather self-centered lives.   In order to receive salvation and live for God through Jesus Christ, we must humble ourselves, yield and sacrifice while we are on this earth.  In Luke 9:23, we are reminded that we need to “deny ourselves” and follow God through obedience.   My prayer for Christians (including myself) is that we seek to submit and humble ourselves before an almighty God.  If we do this, we will be fruitful in our earthly relationships, while pleasing God through faith in Him.  God is not looking for perfection, but diligence and persistence in this journey.  In order to exhibit humility, we need to be intentional and pure in our motives.  Following God’s example is the best path.