Humility - Christ’s Commission Fellowship

Humility - Christ’s Commission Fellowship
Peter Tan-chi

Humility is a neglected virtue that we should constantly pray for, yet we lose it the instant we think we have acquired it. 1 Peter 5:5-7 says, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” According to this passage, there are three reasons why we must heed God’s command to be humble.

God is opposed to the proud. The word ‘opposed’ is used to describe an army that is organized to attack an enemy. This image shows that God takes pride seriously and He is constantly set against proud people. Pride is a root sin that produces many sins. It goes against our deep need for God. This is exactly why proud people don’t want to be corrected and refuse to repent.

Luke 18:10-14 tells of a repentant tax collector and a proud Pharisee. Spiritually proud people tend to judge others. On the other hand, humble people do not judge others easily because they are aware of their own failures and shortcomings. Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v. 14)

God gives grace to the humble. The Christian life, from beginning until the end, can be lived by God’s grace alone. Just the same, we have an important part to play. We are neither to be controlling nor to be passive. We are to cooperate with God so He can work His way through us.

King Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king of Babylon who did not acknowledge the God of the heavens. He was warned: “Break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your inquities…” (Daniel 4:27). But still he considered himself above God. Therefore, God humbled him.

He lost his mind and behaved like a beast (Daniel 4:31-32). When he finally came to his senses, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and worshiped God. He realized that God alone has the power to give or withhold success to whomever He wishes (Daniel 4:17) and that God is able to humble those who walk in pride (Daniel 4:37).

God exalts in due time. God gives us the grace to depend on Him by humbling ourselves under His mighty hand “that He may exalt [us] at the proper time.” God’s timing is always perfect. When Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and revered God, he was reestablished to his position and was blessed by God even more (Daniel 4:36).

Proud people would never admit that they are proud. Here are some tests by which you can personally assess yourself: Are you grateful when corrected? How do you respond to criticism? Do you submit to authority? Do you long to be recognized by others for your work in the ministry? Are you too concerned about how other people think about you? Are you anxious and strive to control your circumstances instead of surrendering them to God?

Being humble does not mean looking down on one’s self. It is having a proper perspective of who we are in God’s eyes. God loves us despite our imperfections and failures. In our weakness, He is our strength. He fixes and transforms broken lives to bring glory to His name. Having a mindset that we cannot boast about anything will guard us against pride. The moment we refuse to give God His proper place in our lives, pride will surely enter our hearts.

The truth is we need God’s help to be humble. The Bible tells us that God is opposed to the proud. He will use circumstances and people to humble us. We must cooperate with Him as He transforms us into Christ-likeness and trust in His promise that He will give grace and will exalt the humble in His perfect time.