Humility

Psalm149:4 - For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

“…He crowns the humble with victory…” This verse alone shows how highly God views humility. This topic is mentioned all over God’s Word, but it’s an area that I think most of us struggle with at some point. In order to humble ourselves, it's important to know what humility really means.

Humility requires an understanding that we are sinners, undeserving of God’s grace. But it’s important to know that being humble doesn’t mean seeing ourselves as worthless or inadequate. We cannot be prideful, but also should not miss the fact that we have worth and value. Being humble means not seeing ourselves as more (or less) than what we are. Rather, it’s seeing ourselves as God sees us – Redeemed!

When we allow pride to get in the way, we are hindering our ability to be thankful for the blessings God has given us. Pride leads us to believe that we are actually something great – we compare ourselves to others and build ourselves up in our minds. We think that we did something right to deserve what we have, and we forget that if it weren’t for Christ’s sacrifice, we wouldn’t even have life, let alone anything else! Pride builds a barrier between us and God and even blinds us to the needs of those around us. 

Humility, on the other hand, opens our eyes and softens our hearts. By knowing the depths of our sin and then realizing how much God loves us anyway, we can’t help but be humbled. Rather than judging those around us and comparing ourselves to them, we begin to show them love in the same way God shows it to us. God extends his grace to all of us; the way we live should be a reflection of the grace and mercy He freely gave to us. There is no greater example of a humble man that Christ Himself: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

When we live our lives in humility, we’re not selfishly seeking to receive and be served, but rather to serve and give to others. When our lives are focused on giving, God blesses us and gives us even more to be thankful for. As a result, we become more fulfilled, more joyful, and gain a sense of true purpose.