Humble and Proud of it?

If you received a plaque for being a humble person, would you hang it on your wall? That’s a funny thought to wrestle with a while. Humility as such an important character quality to develop as a teacher of God’s Word. But, how can we learn humility in the midst of this world’s focus on self-esteem and trophies for everyone? We are taught early on to love ourselves and we expect to be praised for our efforts. Aren’t we supposed to be “proud of ourselves?”

One of Christianity’s greatest teachers, the Apostle Paul, had some personal battles with pride because of the great revelations God had given him. It really is easy to become proud of how much Bible we know. We get “puffed up” and start condemning and correcting others on sight—not a pretty picture of a successful Sunday School teacher. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul explains that through his “thorn in the flesh,” he learned to boast in his weakness so that God’s power would rest upon him. We learn that with great humility comes spiritual power, so how do we cooperate with the Lord in developing humility? Here are some thoughts to consider.

A healthy focus on the awesomeness of God produces humility. The greatness of an ocean, the fierceness of a tornado and the vastness of space, are all reminders of how small we really are in the face of His real power. As we study the abilities of God to orchestrate time and history to fulfill His purposes, we gain a sense of how awesome He is. As He increases in our own thoughts and experiences, we decrease, squelching our pride and teaching us to be humble.

Understanding that everything you are and everything you have are gifts from God and others will also produce humility in our lives. No one is a self-made man or woman. An old Chinese proverb says, “Those who drink the water must remember those who dug the well.” Remembering that, will help us develop a spirit of gratefulness for the things that God and others have done for us. We have been influenced by teachers, relatives, and mentors all along the way. Parents loved and sacrificed for us, pastors have taught and led us, and God has provided the very air we breathe. I like to keep a stack of thank you notes in my desk—not just to affirm others, but also to remind myself that I would be nothing if others had not invested in my life and counted me worthy of their personal sacrifices.

A commitment to being a life-long learner will help us learn humility. I love watching new Christians grow in Christ. They are like sponges, absorbing spiritual truth. They know they have a lot to learn and they aren’t ashamed to ask questions. They don’t put on the pretense that they have figured it all out or have it all together. That teachable spirit is something we never want to lose. We would do well to remember that an “ex-spurt” is a has-been who is a drip under pressure! I don’t ever want to be an expert! I always want to be an apprentice who is learning from the Master and others. A teachable spirit will be especially tested when we fall under criticism. Our openness to our sincere critics is a real demonstration of humility.

Developing a servant’s spirit will help us grow in humility. It is difficult to really focus on meeting someone else’s needs and desires without thinking about what we will get in return. It does not come to us naturally, but it is the best expression of Christ-like love. Probably the most difficult part of being a servant is when people treat you like one. But in the process of developing a servant’s heart, we become more like Jesus. That is the real goal of humility—to be more like Him.