Yes, here I go again, “beating a dead horse” talking about humility. Well, it is true that I have talked about humility quite frequently over the past few months, but here is why I am continuing the discussion as my first blog for 2022. First, I have more information to share that I have not elaborated on in the past. And second, the character trait of humility is an essential component of the Christian faith, and therefore it should be a frequent topic of discussion, especially within a culture that is so prideful and self-absorbed. Additionally, humility is complex, and it needs to run into the deep recesses of our heart to be “Christlike” humility. For if we see humility only in the context of how we treat others or just as a good reminder of how our relationship with God should look like, we cheapen Christ’s humility in following the will of God. For Jesus, “being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, NIV). The fact that Jesus lived a life of humility in complete submission to the will of the Father is why someone like Andrew Murray could write a whole book on “Humility”, and the book still just touches the surface on the humility of Christ, and how we should use Christ’s example to live our life in full submission to God.
Because the life of humility and submission to Christ is laid out so simply in the Bible it can easily be overlooked: “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” 1 John 2:6 (NIV). Just to be clear, I said that it was laid out in a simple fashion in the Bible, not that it is simple to understand and demonstrate Christlike humility. Because demonstrating Christlike humility is extremely difficult, and it is a lifelong pursuit. And therefore, to “live as Christ did” requires us to daily seek, read, study, evaluate, discuss, meditate on, pray about, and submit to the humility of Christ.
Beyond the fact that humility is a demonstration of our faith, there are many other benefits to pursuing Christ’s humility as a way of life. Humility promotes better communication, leads to better relationships (formation, maintenance, strengthening and repair), and is also connected to altruism, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity, self-control, sexual fidelity, cooperation, harmony, positive child rearing, lower antisocial behavior, and overall mental health (Worthington & Allison). Wow! And not surprisingly, within a religious context humility leads to a higher level of spirituality, stability, and commitment. Additionally, humility may be a significant factor in one’s ability to make changes or to work through problems. Research also suggests that humility may be a catalyst in the Stages of Change Process- Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance by Prochaska & DiClememte, as humility may initiate or activate change, and may prompt someone to transition from one stage of the change process to the next (Rowden, Harris & Wickel). And all of these benefits may occur without even attaining the level of humility outlined in the scripture.
As I started this discussion, I noted that humility goes beyond how we treat others or how we perceive we should act in relationship to God. Humility needs to be a part of the fabric of our very being to be Christlike humility. Generally, if we think of ourselves as more humble than those around us, we probably do not put too much more effort into evaluating our humility. The problem here is that “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV), so comparing ourselves to others is probably not a good gauge of our attaining Christlike humility. The fact is that we can act in a humble fashion in certain situations, but that does not necessarily mean that the quality of humility from a Biblical perspective is a part of our character. For example, think of different situations where you may interact with family members, friends, acquaintances, strangers, or even enemies. Do you demonstrate humility with all of these individuals? What about in different settings such as at church, work, school, when shopping, in your own neighborhood or in an unfamiliar city, or while driving? And what about with specific people such as people from a different political party than yourself, those who see the pandemic differently, or those who are alcoholics, abusers, or those who are your bosses, or who are your subordinates? And what about when you have been wronged or betrayed; do you demonstrate humility in those situations, because Jesus did.
Unfortunately, there are many other challenges to demonstrating “Christlike” humility beyond just exhibiting humility in all situations. A primary barrier to humility is the fact that people in general are very prideful, and pride is in direct opposition to humility (see James 4:6, NIV: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble)”. The reality is that in comparison to others, we see ourselves as better than average, more ethical, less prejudiced, and even better friends than those around us, whether it is true or not (Worthington & Allison). Additionally, we accept credit for any successes we perceive, and we shirk responsibility for our failures or misbehaviors through justifying and excusing our actions. How often do we say or hear the excuse of “I am sorry, but…” or the justification of “I did not mean to do it”, which in many ways is just another form of “it is not my fault”. Unfortunately, Christians may not fare much better when it comes to pride, as “People of faith often are not really listening to the Bible, but simply hearing their own voices echoing off the pages” (Lucas et al, 2016, as cited in Worthington & Allison).
But there is an additional challenge to pursuing Christlike humility that has not been mentioned, and that is that we cannot do it on our own. To think that we can develop Christlike humility on our own would certainly be quite prideful, wouldn’t it. For “God upholds all things by His power, and in whom all things exist, therefore the relation of us to God is absolute dependence” (Murray, p5). See Colossians 1:15-17, NIV: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”. Additionally, “We do nothing of ourselves- This is beyond our own reach, but only by the indwelling of Christ. For we have nothing but what we receive, and to bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it” (Murray, p15). See John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”. I would encourage you to go back and re-read the verses in this paragraph as they are quite humbling indeed.
Interestingly, research suggests there are levels of humility which include single acts of humility, a state of humility, and trait humility (Worthington & Allison). Most everyone is capable of “a single act of humility” here or there. Even if you are an aggressive driver as an example, you may occasionally let someone go first at a stop sign (Yes, I am working on this one…). And some people may demonstrate “a state of humility” by regularly exhibiting empathy, gratitude, and generosity. But just because someone may be empathetic, and even be kind in most situations, it does not mean that their motivations are sincere, or that they demonstrate humility in all situations. But “trait humility”, which I think to some extent more accurately describes Christlike humility, is a consistent and lasting pursuit of humility and sincerity (Worthington and Allison). I think this is the type of humility that the Apostle Paul, the writer of approximately half of the books of the New Testament and called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (see Romans 11:13), and one who you would think could boast, describes in Philippians 3:7-14: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.
In developing a presentation on humility I identified two writers that elaborated on how to develop Christlike humility that I think appropriate to quote as a conclusion to this post. “Our perspective on humility can be radically changed if we ponder and meditate on the greatest example of humility in history: Jesus Christ… How do we gain the mind of Christ and humble ourselves? To put on the mind of Christ, we need to make a firm decision to ponder, understand, and adopt Jesus’ way of thinking; his values and attitudes must become ours. His strong emphasis on humility and meekness and his example of it must take hold of our thinking, our desires and our conduct. We must admire his humility and want it for ourselves. For this to happen, we need to earnestly and regularly pray for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, for it is impossible to do it in our own strength. We will also need to understand what Jesus meant when he called men and women to humble themselves. We discover that from the Greek word Jesus and the apostles used, tapeinos, which conveys the idea of having a right view of ourselves before God and others” (Tarrants). Additionally, “The way to become poor in spirit is to look at God. Read this book about Him, read His law, look at what He expects from us, contemplate standing before Him. It is also to look at the Lord Jesus Christ and to view Him as we see Him in the Gospels. The more we do that the more we shall understand the reaction of the apostles when, looking at Him and something He had just done, they said, ‘Lord, increase our faith” (Lloyd-Jones, p42).
So, if reading this has prompted you to think more about humility, here are some questions.
Think of all the situations where you have the opportunity to demonstrate humility- are there places where you struggle?
The level we place on evaluating and addressing issues around pride and humility are related to the depth of our faith. How do you assess the value you place on these issues? What specifically will you do to be more intentional related to developing humility and addressing pride as a part of your daily walk?
How do you evaluate and distinguish between your own efforts to address pride and develop humility, and the work of Christ in your life that is addressing pride and developing Christlike humility? How often do you ever in humility, kneel before God, look into His face and cry out in shame because of your pride, and seek the Holy Spirit to change your heart?
Resources:
Lloyd-Jones, D.M. (1976). Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Murray, Andrew (1895/2005). Humility,
Rowden, T., Harris, S., & Wickel, K. (2014). Understanding Humility and Its Role in Relational Therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 36:380–391.
Tarrants, T. A. (2011). Pride and Humility. Knowing & Doing. C.S. Lewis Institute.
The Holy Bible. New International Version.
Worthington, E., & Allison, S. (2017). Heroic Humility.