In the previous blog, I wrote about how we arrived in this mess, because let’s get real, life is messy. People are messy. Apart from Christ, mankind is separated from God and our current reality is good and evil, aka messy.

However, the Bible gives us hope that through Christ we can experience heaven on earth regardless of circumstance, and this possibility hinges on our knowledge of him. Let’s explore an attribute of God and his Kingdom that brings us closer to that reality-humility.

But before we delve into humility, I want to address why I chose to write about humility before love. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says the greatest virtue of all is love. Love is the #1 way God relates to us. His righteousness and justice, often understood as rules and consequences, are a byproduct of his love for us. This is why Jesus used the word Father to broaden our understanding of God’s character. From cover to cover the Bible message is clear, “I love you, love me.” Yet, despite this, it’s a struggle for humanity to reciprocate God’s love.

Humble before God

So why prioritize humility over love? Because, since the fall, we perceive life as it is, current state, and not as God created it. Therefore, our understanding of love is marred and requires us to let God redefine it according to his definition.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn’t know how to be human either—women didn’t know how to be women, men didn’t know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men—all lust, no love. Romans 1:26-27 MSG

Humility is the foundation upon which all virtues, including love, are built within us, because to grow in love, we must first acknowledge God is God, and we are not. Sustaining a life of moral integrity and virtue necessitates humble submission to God.

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14

After we are humbled before God, humility towards others naturally follows. If the God of the Bible exists, which he does, then what he says and wants is of the highest importance. Recognizing this positions us to learn about God, which is essential to growing.

The great apologist and theologian C. S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

Simply thinking of God as the highest authority is an act of humility.

Absolute humility is within reach

During the past few months reflecting on the word humility, I prayerfully considered what to write. It’s no wonder there are entire books written on this single word.

I could write about the antithesis of humility: pride, emphasizing that true humility is devoid of ego. To protect our hearts from serving others in pride we acknowledge God as the source of good and live within the bounds of our physical limitations.

I could address false humility, which mistakenly equates all confidence with arrogance. This misconception often results in diminished self-worth, self-deprecating behaviors, and an unproductive attitude that benefits no one, not even oneself. False humility presents as timidity and causes an individual to ignore their strengths. However, a truly humble person acknowledges their strengths and weaknesses and uses them for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

Lastly, I could explore how humility represents our inherent nature in Heaven and how we can attain a genuine manifestation of humility here too.

Humility has a great depth of meaning with profound spiritual implications, which means it’s important that we not only read about it, but that we do our best to understand, embody, and recognize it in others.

In Heaven, all our needs are met granting us the freedom to prioritize others. This is portrayed in Genesis when God created the environment that allowed mankind to thrive. In chapter two, after Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, she offered it to Adam not out of malice but because it was her first nature to consider others. Unfortunately, Eve was deceived.

Throughout the Bible, we witness God consistently embody humility towards us as he meticulously orchestrates the restoration of humanity through the lineage of Israel, culminating in the birth of the Messiah. God is constantly focused on restoring mankind in the least damaging way. This isn’t because humanity is the focal point, but solely because of his inherent goodness, humble nature, and boundless love for us. From the opening verse of Genesis to the Gospel accounts portraying Christ’s triumph on the cross, and even in the prophetic visions of Revelation, the divine care for humanity is evident. Despite being the sole entity worthy of self-centered praise, God transcends selfishness, epitomizing pure goodness devoid of any trace of evil within him. Through the narrative, he gives us a glimpse of himself and the essence of who he always desired us to be.

Jesus, conceived by God through the Holy Spirit, embodies and achieves moral victory because pure goodness—the essence of God—exists. Which means it’s possible to always focus on God and others. Absolute humility is within our reach.

Greatest commandments: a call to humility

The definition of humility per Google is, “You have no special importance that makes you better than others.” However, my definition of humility is, “an attitude formed by the belief that all people derive their worth from God.” This belief leads people to consider others.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

The two greatest commandments are a blueprint of how to embody every virtue and a call to greater, humility. After we know and love God and believe our worth comes from him, naturally, we begin to think less often of ourselves and more often and higher of others.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

Humility isn’t a call to neglect self-care; Instead through humility, self-care regains its purpose. We pursue self-care to be the best we can enabling ourselves to care for others. Also, humility isn’t a call to neglect all ambition, but to align our ambition with our purpose of loving God and others. When we die to ourselves and live for God and others, we step into our identity and become more of ourselves, not less.

Have you ever done something new alone? I have, often, and I tend to observe. It’s particularly intriguing within a church environment. How many individuals extended a warm greeting? How many offered their assistance? It’s disheartening when those in leadership show little regard for others. While they anticipate recognition, the Kingdom of Heaven operates differently—leaders lead through genuine love for people. Humility is a rare commodity, even within the church. Yet, rather than passing judgment, we can grieve this reality, recognizing that most people’s interactions with others are indicative of their own self-perception. The proper response in this situation is to grieve. Grieve that the reality of God’s Kingdom has not yet fully come to us, and then be the solution by leading in humility and being considerate of the people around us. The saint will constantly choose to treat others higher, out of an awareness of who God created everyone to be.

Treating individuals higher than ourselves doesn’t diminish our worth, just as treating them with less regard doesn’t diminish it. Our value isn’t contingent upon how we treat others; thus, we’re free to elevate others above ourselves. Jesus exemplified this by treating his disciples with the utmost honor and respect the night before he was crucified for their sins. Jesus lived as though He was already in the Kingdom. I would argue that this act of humility wasn’t humility but magnanimity. It was the continued pursuit of excellence in humility towards God and His disciples, over Jesus’s 33 years, that resulted in him being exalted to the right hand of God and all of humanity being saved through his willful submission.

Have you ever responded with kindness to someone rude to you, because you chose to believe the best in them? Maybe someone has responded with kindness to you after being rude? This kind of divine love, rooted in humility, has the power to transform the world, and every instance of encountering it is nothing short of a miracle, brought about by the collaborative work of God and a faithful believer.

Developing humility and sustaining humility

The process of developing humility is like all virtue. The seeds of humility are planted as we accept Jesus and begin to understand him. They take root when we understand who we are to him, and they’re in bloom when our confidence is firmly rooted in him, and as a result, our focus becomes others. Developing consistent humility is a daily process of:

1. Acknowledging God
2. Knowing God intimately through the Bible and prayer
3. Being assured of our God-given identity and purpose (and therefore everyone else’s)
4. Walking in freedom, transcending self, to focus on others

The humble person behaves in faith, executing with certainty, who they are in Christ. They have self-awareness and are confident of how God has uniquely designed and gifted them as individuals to fulfill his plan and purpose for their lives which is bent toward others. Through humility, we transcend the current reality of self to step into our heavenly identity.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14