The Heart of Humility

 

 

There is a danger in thinking too highly of yourself, just as there is a danger in thinking too lowly of yourself. Thinking too highly of yourself inflates your opinion of yourself, and thinking too lowly makes you question if you are worthy enough to receive God’s love. Have you known someone who thought so lowly of himself he constantly feared he could never please the Lord?  Perhaps you have known someone who thought so highly of himself he determined his way was the only way and walked away from those who truly cared for him. 

 

Both of these are pride. You can have pride that is from high or low self-esteem. True humility doesn’t exalt or demean self. It doesn’t have an opinion of self. It doesn’t need man’s approval because it has God’s approval. True humility only desires to glorify the Lord.

 

Some people think that humility shows weakness. Jesus may have described Himself as “meek and lowly of heart” (Matthew 11:29), but He was far from weak and timid. There is power in humility. Jesus came against the religious leaders—those empty “white-washed tombs” and “vipers.” Twice, He drove people out of the temple in righteous anger (Matthew 21:12, John 2:15).

 

In Numbers 12:3, Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote that he was the most humble man on the face of the earth. Would you know or admit it if you were humble? 

 

“For who makes you differ from another?” Paul wrote. “And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it’ (1 Corinthians 4:7)?

 

Humility recognizes that everything you have is from God. God exalts those who are humble (John 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6), and those who are humble will let God exalt them. The proud don’t seek His approval. They are too anxious about what others think to be concerned about what God thinks. The prideful seek praise by either pointing to their accomplishments or demeaning themselves. Neither one is humility. When Moses wrote in Numbers 12:3 that he was the most humble man on earth, it was not Moses’ evaluation of himself. It was God’s evaluation. If Moses hadn’t agreed with God, he would have exhibited pride.

 

Paul wrote, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

 

When thinking about ourselves, Paul said we are to think soberly. He also wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3, NIV). 

 

This verse doesn’t say that others are better than you. What it tells you is to place the correct value on everyone. We are each unique and designed for God’s chosen purpose. In the Kingdom, no one is of less value than another. The differences between us make us more valuable to God. No one is just like you. There is nothing wrong with recognizing your God-given abilities and acknowledging what God has done through you. Just be sure you always give God the glory and acknowledge Him working through you and others.

 

A story in Luke 18 concerning a Pharisee and a tax collector shows that prideful people have trouble honoring others and God.

 

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’” (Luke 18:11-12).

 

In Matthew 6:15, John instructed His disciples not to pray like hypocrites who pray to be seen. In Luke 18:11, Jesus said this Pharisee “prayed thus with himself.” This prideful man was so full of himself that he was not communicating with God, just with himself! He was only concerned with proving his good deeds, hoping God would hear him. We should never pray like this man. Our prayers aren’t meant to impress people. They are the way we connect with God.

 

Nothing we do impresses God. We should never use our good deeds to induce the Lord to answer our prayers! He owes us nothing. But some ask, “Why hasn’t God answered my prayer?  I pray. I attend church. I pay tithes.” God isn’t interested in our religiousness. He is interested in our hearts. We can’t come to God on our own righteousness or goodness. Each one of us has fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). We can’t earn righteousness, holiness, healing, provision, or any of God’s blessings. They are God’s gifts. We must approach God just as the tax collector did.

 

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner’” (Luke 18:13)!

 

The tax collector didn’t try to prove or justify himself to God. He didn’t list all his good deeds. He humbled himself and raised his eyes to heaven. In Luke 18:14 Jesus said this humble man went home justified in God’s eyes. 

 

We have something this tax collector didn’t have. Jesus hadn’t yet gone to the cross. Now, Jesus has justified us to God. Our relationship with Him has been restored. We have no reason to prove ourselves to God, as the Pharisees tried to do. We receive humbly what Jesus has given and walk in the assurance of our salvation. We know God gives more grace to the humble and wisdom to those who ask.

 

There is true humility and false humility. True humility honors God as its source and honors others more than itself. It is where you walk in the assurance of your relationship with the Lord without experiencing the highs or lows of self-esteem. True humility realizes everything good in your life is a gift from God. False humility is nothing but pride. Its source is self, craving recognition to prove its worth. False humility seeks its own. It is puffed up. It pretends to be humble to receive praise. 

 

The heart of humility is honoring God. God honored you with the gift of His Son’s life. True humility honors Him. God loves the humble. He wants His children to think of themselves correctly and exercise the measure of faith He has given them (Romans 12:3). 

 

*******

 

Lord, I can’t justify myself to you. Praise you, precious Jesus, you have justified me! If I humble myself, trusting in your mercy and grace, you hear my heart. I can come confidently to you knowing that when I pray your Word, you hear me, and having heard me, I have what I have asked of you. You answer the moment I ask, Lord. I don’t need to see your answer with my eyes to believe I have received it. You produce your promise in me, Lord. I can’t create a thing. 

 

Lord, help me not to make my relationship with you difficult. If I will listen, you are always guiding and encouraging me. Reveal when pride is becoming an issue. It only frustrates and hinders me. I believe your Word, Lord. When I don’t believe your Word, I let pride come into my heart. I will keep humbling myself and sowing your Word in my heart even when my mind can’t grasp it. I will agree with you without question or doubt. 

 

Thank you, Jesus, for being so merciful to me. I choose you. Help me always walk in the assurance of my salvation, honoring you and others above myself.  I am at peace in your perfect work of grace because I have no peace or perfect work of my own. 

 

Amen

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/08/the-heart-of-humility.html