Humility And Faith

“Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:10 (NIV)

“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.” Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”  Proverbs 3:5-8 (NIV)

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Humility is essential to your growth as a follower of Jesus – and absolutely contrary to current world culture. To draw close to God, we must become less in our sight and focus on the real glory found in Jesus. He is the creator of this world and its cosmos by the words He spoke. He knows every thought of every person on the planet and those who lived before. Every fingerprint, zebra stripe, or giraffe spot is a unique masterpiece from His touch. Pride is woefully deceptive, leading us to think we can do without His guidance and blessing!

 In and of ourselves, we cannot save ourselves or anyone else. We don’t have all knowledge, wisdom, or power. We cannot save a lost and dying world without the Holy Spirit’s tenderizing hearts and convicting us of sinful ways. We cannot heal rampant diseases, break addictions’ powers, multiply food or resources, cause people to forgive, or make nations lay down weapons of war. We are humbled before an awesome God who does all this and more.

God has been trying to teach this to mankind for generations. He desires to have a relationship with each of us as friends, children, and servants. He has declared Himself, I AM, that He intends to fulfill every need we have. However, we block Him when we let pride get in the way. We must humble ourselves and admit our need for Him daily, just as we admit our need for salvation.

Being humble does not mean being weak. Merriam-Webster.com lists synonyms for it as “not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive; reflecting, expressing or offered in a spirit of deference or submission; ranking low in a hierarchy of scale: insignificant, unpretentious; not costly or luxurious.” It further defines humble as coming from a Latin word root that means “low₁.”

Compared to the great I AM, who keeps angel armies on the move and still cares about each of our relationships with Him, taking a humble stance seems very wise. But it is a genuinely humble heart that chooses to respect God’s greatness and compassionate love, and practices loving others in Jesus’ way. That kind of humble faith is not self-serving. It is the humble faith our Lord uses to empower us to do His will in the world. And being chosen to serve with Jesus to reach and love others is the greatest honor of all.

To first practice humility, listen to what you say. Scripture tells us that our words reveal what is in our hearts. Begin to question the Holy Spirit about what you are saying and thinking, and catch those unrenewed mindsets. Repent of pride and low self-esteem that color your outlook. Ask the Lord to help you see things from His perspective. Hold back your opinions and seek the Lord’s desires. Remember that the Lord’s kingdom is an upside-down kingdom where the greatest is actually the one who is the most humble servant.

₁ www.merriam-webster.com, Merriam Webster Dictionary, Definition: “humble” synonyms; Did You Know?