True humility comes from knowing I am more sinful than I’ll ever fully realize, while at the same time knowing I am more loved by God than I can ever imagine. Believing these truths about who God is and who you are result in a confidence that destroys your pride and heals your insecurities.
There is great power in humility.
· Humility reflects the very nature of God as displayed in the Trinity. The Son is always giving credit to the Father. The Father is always lifting up the son. And the Holy Spirit is always pointing people to both the Father and the Son.
· Did you know the Bible calls one man in particular the most humble person on Earth? Do you know who that is?
It’s Moses. Numbers 12:3. Church history tells us that Moses wrote the book of Numbers. Does including a statement that you are humble disqualify you from being humble? This is interesting to learn more about!
Numbers 12:3 - Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.
· What does it mean to be humble before all people? It seems easier to humble yourself under certain people more than others. Maybe you have great parents or maybe you respect someone’s views. But what does humility look like when someone is just flat out evil and wrong? What does humility look like if you are on the opposite side of the spectrum and disagree to the point that you think the other person is living based on views that are detrimental to society?
· Humility provides a great opportunity for unity. When we are humble we know who we are and we choose to love and serve others. We see this reflected in the mutual submission of the Trinity.
Here are some practical things we can do to practice humility:
1. Champion the Other
Honestly celebrate other’s accomplishments, abilities, and existence of others. The next time someone you know has something good happen to them, make sure you congratulate them and let them know you are excited for them. Even if you didn’t get what they did, and you feel like you deserve it.
2. Watch Out for Pride
We all have insecurities. When we feel insecure about ourselves we try to bring others down to our level. We become jealous of others. We have a lot of self pity. We fear the fact others are getting ahead of us and we hate it when our friends succeed and we don’t.
3. Say, “I don’t know.”
Pride has all the answers. What are the best political ideas? What does the Bible teach about every doctrine? How do you mow your lawn? What kind of work outs should you be doing? Sometimes the best answer to questions like these is, “I don’t know.” In that moment you are ready to listen.
4. Ask Questions
Instead of telling everyone what the right thing to do is, ask questions. Remember, everyone makes choices believing that they are right. Find out why they think that way. You might learn something. Curiosity creates conversation which fosters unity and growth.
5. See God at Work in Others
We worship God when we praise Him for what he has done. How often do we praise God for what He is doing in the lives of others? Let others bask in the light and thank God for His work. Pray for their success and celebrate what they do. Smile when someone knows more about something than you do. Tell others what they do well.
The humility caution:
If the goal is unity and we value humility, then we might miss out on the importance of what we do individually. It’s important to have boundaries and find value in what you bring to the group.
Your work matters:
1. Even when you aren’t together.
What you do apart from the group gathering or outside the planned time is very important.
2. Even when certain people aren’t there
Sometimes there seems to be stalemate when the boss or leader isn’t around. Your work matters and the mission can get pushed forward even if certain people aren’t there.
3. Even if everyone else seems better than you
If you work well as a group, you probably have a few people in the group that do a lot of the work. Don’t think that your contribution and your voice doesn’t matter. Your part in the group matters.