This is a word that is hard to define or even describe. It’s much easier to think about its antonyms than its synonyms. When I looked up the word in an online dictionary, I found that it is defined as lowliness, with an antonym being pride. Well, that wasn’t much help. Jesus was humble and I want to grow in that trait, but I don’t know how if I can’t understand the definition. In my struggle, I finally came to terms with the fact that if I am thinking of myself first, I am not showing humility. If I consider myself “more than” others, whether it is more intelligent, more talented, prettier, etc. I am not being humble. Our yardstick of measurement is always the Lord and I am always less than in His presence. So, what is the purpose of humility?

It is when we are humble that we are teachable. That is when the Lord can guide us, when we get off our throne of knowledge and self-sufficiency and admit that we are nothing without the Lord. There is nothing I am and nothing that I can do without His guiding hand and help. He teaches me daily the way I should go, the things I should say (or in my case, it is mostly the things I should not say) and the people that I should approach and offer encouragement. But God can only do that if I am willing to put myself out there before Him and listen to what He is telling me to do and say and be. That means starting off with being humble before the King of the Universe.

When we humble ourselves before God, we don’t stay in that position forever. God lifts us up if we will allow Him to do so. It is when we are “tooting our own horns” that we cannot hear God’s instructions and the encouragement that only He can give. The promise is that He WILL lift you up, but this is like a conditional promise. First you humble yourself and then He does the “good job” part. I have found that sometimes I get ahead of God and I’m patting myself on the back before He can even tell me what else I need to do or what I should have done instead. That is not humility in action but pride and God has had to show me numerous times that I need to take a step back and see things the way He sees them, including taking a good look at myself and my efforts. I may have the best intentions but if what I am doing is to glorify myself, I am destined to failure. Sometimes, it will look like success, but it will never be what God intended for it to be unless I learn His ways and practice the humility that will give Him all the glory, recognizing that I am a tool in the hands of the Almighty.

May you be blessed today as you go out and come in, as you meet others and as you are seen by God and by those you meet. May they see Christ in you, the humble servant of His Father.