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Humility – Session Four
In this session of Walking in the Light study the characteristic of humility and the role it plays in our Christian life.
“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
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Romans 12:3
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:1–4
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
My brothers and sisters, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?
Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
James 3:12–13
In his novel David Copperfield, Charles Dickens created the memorable character Uriah Heep – an obsequious, fawning, hand-wringing individual, who lives in his “’umble abode”. When the Bible recommends humility, it doesn’t mean that kind of insincere abjection and self-abasement. God intended no human being to be a footstool or a doormat. Our passage from Romans sums up the biblical position nicely – that we are to do ourselves no special favours, but learn to look at ourselves with clearsighted realism.
It’s interesting to note that Jesus describes accepting his yoke of humility and gentleness as a service that will bring us rest. In humility is peace, because perpetual striving and pretending are exhausting.
Humility is not easy for us, because we are naturally eager to be the first
and have the best. It feels embarrassing to admit our wrongdoing or ignorance or inadequacy. Yet it brings peace, and serenity.
Notice how the biblical writers so often pair humility with gentleness; it seems they go together, and both these quiet disciplines are beautiful to observe in others but are habits that are hard to learn and acquire.
Humble God, who stooped down to earth to find and rescue us, who came to walk alongside us in Jesus, who washed our feet and accepted all the vulnerability of ordinary human life, please give us the grace to be ourselves humble and lowly in heart. May we be content with what you have apportioned us, finding happiness somewhere in all our circumstances; and may we learn gentleness along with humility, and so become like Jesus, in whose holy name we pray; Amen.
