“True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor and long life” (Proverbs 22:4).
Humility used to be a hard word for me latch onto, sort of like “sabbatical.” (Huh?) It felt like a leadership buzzword, a core value, something people said to appear good and trustworthy but not a trait they would embody or actually walk in. (I know… God is healing my heart in areas where it has been jaded.)
Wipe away the leadership and missional quotes and get to the grit: What is humility really? It’s important we know what it is and what it looks like in our lives because we NEED humility to be saved, to be blessed and to prosper, as it says time and again in the Bible.
The Verse of the Day in my Bible app yesterday was Zephaniah 2:3, which says, “Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you – protect you from His anger on that day of destruction.” When we are humble, when we seek to do right, God will protect us.
I have always had a tender heart to do what is right. Have I always done it? Well, let’s not look to ages 18-to-20 to answer that, please. But I have always sought to do right even to the point of getting into the weeds to find the exact “right” way oftentimes. (In my humanness, I have not always accomplished it, of course.) But, this humility piece, what is it?
I wasn’t raise to sit down and be quiet. I was brought up and educated to present and perform – theater, dance, writing and a background in Broadcasting. Frankly, I didn’t think this idea of humility was a possibility for me. After all, I’m not shy or quiet. But, that’s not what humility is. Humility isn’t being shy or not using your creative abilities. God gave you gifts so you would use them.
Humility, by definition, is, “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” Our minds can take this so many wrong ways – that we should feel bad about ourselves, that we must beat ourselves up and live in condemnation, or that we should give away everything we have to the point of our own detriment or sickness. This is not humility. Nope. That’s the devil trying to warp a beautiful, powerful thing by using it against us, as usual. (Snore.) I’ve done that in my 20s with eating issues. Those are just distractions from the enemy to get us off course.
I’m on a path to humility too, and here’s what I’m learning as I walk with the Lord: In my life, with the way my brain works, someone can’t just tell me to be humble. Humility is best shown by example as displayed through others’ behaviors, inspiring me to be better. Here’s what I mean:
Look at Jesus… You can imagine Him in your mind’s eye, or even as you have seen Him portrayed in The Chosen series, Jesus of Nazareth or through beautiful paintings, like this one that marked my childhood. It sat at the top of my grandparent’s stairs. I would walk into the foyer and look up to see the welcoming face of Jesus. He was looking straight at me with such a soft, kind face that, even without words, said, “I love you.”
For me, humility is personified through the eyes of Jesus. His eyes say it all: Kindness, gentleness, warmth, and love… that He sees me, welcomes me, puts me first, cares for me, and sacrifices for me because He loves me.
The kindness of Jesus teaches me what humility is. I see it. He shows me. He personifies it. He gives to me, nurtures me. He puts me first.
Humility is more than a word. It’s a heart, a spirit of sacrificing for others, putting others first. I see it in the eyes. It’s what first drew my attention to my husband. It’s what led me to follow my grandfather anywhere he went: Their eyes, their kindness, spoke, saying, “You matter to me!”
I have come to learn humility by watching others. I watch sweet, quiet, hard-working people I work with who give because of love. I learn humility by watching my step-dad serve others through his gifts to fix issues in their homes. It’s all because of love, not reward or accolade. It’s because of love.
Here’s what I’ve learned about humility in my journey so far:
- Humility not only says but it shows, “you matter.” It shows you matter not because of what you can do for me or where you can get me but because of who you are.
- Humility says, “my time is not more valuable than yours but you are more valuable than my time.”
- Humility says, “life doesn’t owe me anything but I am blessed for everything God has chosen to give me.”
- Humility says, “your thoughts, feelings, and opinions matter as much as mine.”
- Humility makes room for others instead of just for one’s self.
- Humility is a loving attitude yet it is so much more. It is a heart-posture.
The Lord has been teaching me humility. Yet, even as He teaches me, He does so with gentleness and love because Jesus is the personification of humility. And, thank you to the beautiful people in my life who have been teaching me humility by your love, gentleness and kindness too. I am so grateful for you.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, as we grow in humility, dying to ourselves and our own selfish ambitions, we grow in grace. More grace abounds towards us. What a gift.
Thank you, Lord, for your loving correction and grace poured out for me, for us. I love you. Amen.
Sarah Guldalian 