HUMILITY

HUMILITY

HUMILITY

Toward the end of last year, I was on my knees praying and asked God to please show me what I should focus on in 2023. As I became quiet, I heard in my spirit these words: “humble,” “seek,” and “surrender.” I looked up verses with these words and started reading and meditating on them. When I read what God said to Elijah concerning King Ahab in 1 Kings 21:29, tears started rolling down my cheeks. Hear what God said: “Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his lifetime, but in his son’s day I will bring the evil upon his house” (1 Kings 21:29).

Verse 25 of this chapter reads, “For there was no one who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord as did Ahab, incited by his wife Jezebel.” The narrative here is about Naboth, who owned a vineyard close to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab wanted to buy the property, but Naboth wouldn’t sell it because it was an inheritance from his ancestors. So, Ahab became depressed, and his wife Jezebel cheered him up by promising to get him the vineyard of Naboth. Jezebel conspired against Naboth, and he was stoned to death. The moment Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went out to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. God, who is omniscient and omnipresent, immediately sent Elijah the prophet to meet Ahab at the vineyard. Elijah gave Ahab the judgment of God for murdering Naboth and taking over his property. Immediately when Ahab heard it, he humbled himself—tore his clothes, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and went quietly.

Then came the word from God in verse 29: “Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his lifetime, but in his son’s day I will bring the evil upon his house.” I started crying because I could not fathom the meekness nor comprehend the tenderheartedness of God and His readiness to pour grace out upon the humble. Hear what God said in Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” In James 4:6, the Bible says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

I said to myself, since God has such a tender heart toward a person who humbles himself, I must learn more about humility and live it. Thanks be to God, for He has provided everything we need in His word. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29 NIV). There is no better place to learn humility than at the feet of Jesus (Philippians 2:5-9):

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”

 The humility of Jesus:

  • Jesus in His Incarnation emptied Himself and became a man (Philippians 2:7)
  • In His Life on Earth, He took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7)
  • In His Atonement, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)
  • In His Ascension and Glorification, He humbled Himself for this reason; also, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9)

So, what is true humility? I like the way Andrew Murray defined it: “It is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God. Where God is all, and we are nothing. True humility gives up all the honor of men as Jesus did, to seek the honor that comes from God alone.”

Jesus took a place of subordination and gave God the honor and the glory due to Him. More than ten times in the book of John, Jesus made statements like this: “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will” (John 5:30).

It was humility that led to Christ’s exaltation, while on the other hand it was pride that led to the downfall of Lucifer. The Bible says pride goes before destruction. Pride is the loss of humility and the root of every sin. Lucifer wanted to make himself equal with God (Isaiah 14:12-14), and that degraded him to become Satan. Unfortunately, he breathed the poison of his pride in our first parents Adam and Eve, and since then pride has become human nature.

Pride can ruin a relationship, especially between husbands and wives. Remember Apostle Peter’s admonition: “All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5). Apostle Paul also said in Ephesians 5:21-22, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” Some husbands are quick to jump to “wives, submit to your husbands,” skipping verse twenty-one that says, “submit to one another.” Submitting to one another requires humility; it requires giving honor to your wife (1 Peter 3:7).

How can we live a life of humility that glorifies God?

  1. Depend totally on the Holy Spirit for help (John 14:16).
  2. Come before God as an empty vessel so that His power and goodness can manifest in your life. Apostle Paul with his impressive resume in Philippians chapter 3, did not rely on his human wisdom, but emptied himself and allowed the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit through him. He said in 1 Corinthians 2: 4, “My speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
  3. Imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJ).
  4. Clothe yourself with humility (Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 5:5 NKJ).
  5. Serve others as Christ did (John 13:13-14)— “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” And how about starting from your home! Make a good meal for your wife. A good meal will be more than just putting cereal in a bowl and pouring milk or pouring water in a bowl of gari. For example, if you were making breakfast: get some eggs, toast, or bread, get her favorite tea, coffee, or juice, and set them on a table and say, “honey” or “sweetheart” your breakfast is ready. She might wonder what is going on because you have not done it in years. Just smile and say, new beginning — that means henceforth you will not just do it once or twice a year. This might solve some of your marital problems.
  6. Look for the interests of others and not just your own interests (Philippians 2:3-4).

So, let us go humbly before God and ask for grace to live moment by moment in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and to be sensitive to His voice and readily obey Him. May the Lord help us to be more like Jesus in humility, prayer, obedience, love, and good work. Amen.

If you are reading this article and you have not given your life to Christ, it’s not too late to do so now. Your past doesn’t matter to God. Whether you were an alcoholic, fornicator, adulterer, or any other kind of sinner, humble yourself today before Him, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and He will be gracious to you.