Did you know God gives us two definitions of humility? As I read through Philippians 2:1-8 years ago, I discovered He displayed humility from two perspectives…man, to another man and then later in the passage…man, to God Almighty.
In verses 3-4, He states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Then in verses 5-8, God states, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Andrew Murray states that “Humility is the place of entire dependency upon God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every other virtue (the fruit of the spirit).”
According to Oswald Chambers, “Humility, the place of entire dependence upon God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue. And so, pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil.” Hence, it follows that nothing can be our redemption, but the restoration of the lost humility, the original and only true relation of man to its God. And so, Jesus came to bring humility back to earth, to make us partakers of it, and by it to save us.
Mother Teresa says, “Let us not forget that we owe humility to God out of reverence to Him, or that our humility is not only an imitation of Christ but a perfect way of giving oneself to Jesus, for when we are able to accept with joy all humiliations, our love for Jesus becomes very intimate and ardent.”
Andrew Murray also states that, “Humility is the only soil in which the graces root, the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure in man. Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God and allows Him, as God, to do all.”
Today humility ought to display our nothingness like Jesus did back in His day. In reality, many Christians today don’t display His sense of nothingness…but let pride show through with an attitude of “look at me and how great I am.”
I’d like to suggest we all study the character of Christ until our souls are filled with the love, grace, mercy, and an admiration of His lowliness. Let us, when we are broken down under a sense of our pride, seek His Holy Spirit to it cast out our pride and fill us with the humility of Christ, so Jesus can be all He wants to be in us and through us.
Lord Jesus, help us to live our lives with Your humility, being totally dependent upon the Father, and thereby love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love our neighbor as we love ourselves (meaning…as we Love God with ALL our heart, mind, soul, and strength).
In Christ,
Bill