The Beauty of Humility
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).
There is something truly beautiful about humility.
A humble person is often a pleasure to be around. They are willing to listen, generous in their appreciation of others, and do not feel the need to impress everyone they meet. They can rejoice in the happiness and achievements of others, acknowledge their own mistakes, and receive kindness with genuine thankfulness.
Humility brings a certain freedom. We no longer need to be the most important person in the room, to have the last word, or to receive recognition for everything we do.
And there is a wonderful peace in that.
Of all the Christian virtues, humility is the chiefest, for it teaches us to take our proper place before God. It prepares the heart for love, kindness, patience, mercy, and thankfulness. It makes us more willing to learn, more ready to forgive, and more conscious of how much we owe to the goodness of God.
Above all, humility teaches us to look away from ourselves and towards Christ.
Learning Humility From Christ
The most beautiful example of humility is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).
Consider who spoke these words.
Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth, the One to whom all power and glory belong. Yet when He came into the world, He did not surround Himself with earthly splendour or demand the admiration of men.
He showed kindness to the poor, compassion towards the suffering, and patience with those who struggled to understand Him.
He was approachable to the lowly, tender towards the weak, and willing to serve those who had nothing to offer Him in return.
And ultimately, He humbled Himself even unto death upon the cross.
The apostle Paul invites us to consider this extraordinary example in Philippians 2:5-8, where Christ, being in the form of God, took upon Himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
What makes this so wonderful is that Christ's humility did not diminish His greatness. It revealed the beauty of His character.
True humility is not weakness. It is perfectly consistent with courage, inner confidence in the truth, wisdom, and strength.
Christ knew exactly who He was. Yet His greatness was expressed in the most extraordinary acts of love.
And He calls His people to learn of Him.
The Foundation of Humility
At the very heart of Christianity are two glorious truths: God is absolutely sovereign, and salvation is entirely by His grace.
These are not merely two doctrines among many. They are foundational to our understanding of God, of ourselves, and of the whole Christian faith.
Together, they leave us with every reason to be thankful and no reason to boast.
Consider first the sovereignty of God.
God is the great I AM. He exists of Himself, depends upon nothing, and governs all things according to His eternal will.
Scripture tells us that He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Ephesians 1:11).
Everything we are and everything we possess comes ultimately from Him.
We did not choose to be born, nor did we determine our own nature, intelligence, abilities, or circumstances. Even the opportunities that come our way, the people who enrich our lives, and the good things we accomplish are gifts of His providence.
The apostle Paul asks a wonderfully simple question:
"and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
There is something deeply liberating about recognising this.
We are saved entirely by His grace.
Our salvation does not originate in our goodness, our wisdom, our works, or some independent act of our own will. It originates in the eternal love and purpose of God, who chose His people in Christ and graciously brings them to faith.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Even the faith by which we believe is His gift. Even our love for Him is the fruit of His love towards us.
We are the recipients of riches of grace beyond anything we could deserve.
To understand sovereign grace is therefore to discover one of the greatest reasons for humility.
We have nothing to boast of, but everything to be thankful for.
Humility Makes Us More Loving
One of the fruits of humility is the way it changes our relationships with other people.
When we recognise how generously God has dealt with us, we become more inclined to deal generously with others.
We learn to be patient with their weaknesses, being mindful of our own weaknesses, and to appreciate their gifts, being mindful of the gifts God has given to us, and to consider their needs, being mindful of our great need before God.
Humility makes it easier to acknowledge when we are wrong. We need not defend every opinion or justify every mistake. There is no shame in learning something from another person, nor in admitting that someone else understands a matter better than we do.
And how much happier our relationships become when we are no longer concerned with proving ourselves superior!
This is especially important within the Church.
Christ told His disciples, "for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren" (Matthew 23:8).
What a beautiful way to regard one another.
We may have different gifts, different responsibilities, and different degrees of understanding, but we are all brethren, equally dependent upon the grace of God.
The person who has studied Scripture for many years has no reason to despise the one who is only beginning to learn. The preacher has no reason to exalt himself above those whom he serves. And those who have been blessed with wisdom or understanding have all the more reason to exercise patience and kindness.
Indeed, the greater our understanding of God's grace, the more gracious we ought to be towards others.
Humility makes room for friendship, fellowship, forgiveness, and love. It enables us to find genuine happiness in the good of another person.
And in all these things, we reflect upon character of Christ Himself.
The Blessing of Walking Humbly With God
There is one final thought that makes humility especially precious.
The God who inhabits eternity, whose greatness is beyond our understanding, delights to dwell with those who are humble.
In Isaiah 57:15, the Lord declares that He dwells with those who are of a contrite and humble spirit:
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Notice the purpose of His gracious presence: to revive, to restore, and to give life.
This is the wonderful character of the God we worship.
Humility, then, is not a gloomy preoccupation with our own inadequacies. It is a joyful recognition of God's greatness, goodness, and grace.
It frees us from the exhausting pursuit of our own importance. It helps us appreciate the people around us, rejoice in the blessings we have received, and trust more fully in the loving purposes of our heavenly Father.
Above all, it draws our attention to Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of divine glory is revealed alongside the most beautiful humility, meekness and lowliness of heart.
May God therefore grant us humble hearts, not merely in the way we speak, but in the way we love, forgive, serve, and regard one another.
And may our understanding of His sovereignty and grace never become a source of self-importance, but rather fill our hearts with wonder, kindness, and thankfulness.
For all that we have comes from Him, all that we are depends upon Him, and all that is good within us is the work of His grace.
To Him alone belongs the glory.
"for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chronicles 29:14)
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." (Psalm 115:1)
