Humility – What is it?
A difficult word much less tenet of behaviour in these times if you were to ask me, a word that is not easily identified with.
In this world that promotes self, self and just when you thought two were enough a third self comes along. A lifestyle where most of our experiences are sexualised, and a fun and flashy “you have to see me” pretentious living are the dishes served daily. Where comparison is rampant and who has what title etc. is extremely important.
But seriously, what does the word humility mean? In the Bible, humility is the absence of arrogance and pride.
- It’s knowing who you are and what you are called to do in Christ.
- It is being void of a need to speak and demand that people listen (time & place).
- It is not a puffed up self because you believe you are filled with wisdom and need a big platform to share all that “you feel”.
- Humility is the absence of a need to be seen (at all), and knowing that less of YOU is required and more of GOD is a must.
- It is taking yourself out of the equation and allowing God to come through … you.
In John the third chapter we read this passage of scripture (vs. 23-30) that demonstrates humility in a potent way!
At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. (This was before John was thrown into prison.) A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
John had no need to show how important he was…he knew his purpose and that it was a great one of making known or creating the awareness of the impending arrival of Christ.
And so like John with the knowledge of who we are in Christ we have to become less so Jesus can become greater in our lives. Our accomplishments are not because of us as we would believe but they are from God.
Our hearts should reflect wanting to be seen less, (physically) and more spiritually.
Humility is not easy, I will be the first to say it, but, it becomes easy with the right mind-set. It becomes easy when we choose the unpopular. It becomes easy when we seek God first above everything else and it becomes easy when we labour into giving God first place in our lives.
Sisters the world and all its attractiveness is not who we answer to but we answer to God. Choose the road of humility over the bright lights and I promise life will become more satisfying. Humility does not mean we cannot live a good life; it does not mean we cannot enjoy ourselves and that we cannot be the masters of our own situations and be people without a mind of our own. Humility does not speak to us accepting less than what we deserve.
Humility is allowing God’s light to shine in us while He gives us the desires of our hearts!
Read more on humility here:
