There is always a special respect for humble people and many of us are always aiming to be more humble as we all know from the scriptures,
”God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6b.
As we all have heard a lot of sermons on humility, today we’ll get a little deeper to know if our humility is actually genuine in this episode(Part 1) of “Are we actually humble?” series. This way we shall grow in humility the right way God wants us to be and gain His favour!
is depreciating ourselves humility?
Boasting about ourselves is wrong. Yes! A well-known fact! When someone says or thinks, “I’m a mustang in the Basketball field! My team could not have won without me!!”, it’s an arrogant boast. But this fact that boasting about themselves is wrong has made many to think that depreciating themselves is humility.
Let me make it more clear. For instance, saying or thinking, “I’m the prettiest girl” signifies pride. In the same way, saying or thinking, “I’m the ugliest of all” is NOT humility. Talking negative about ourselves all the time and belittling ourselves is not humility!
Humility is not an inferior feeling nor a lack of confidence. It’s a conscious decision we make to ground ourselves down in a realization that we are nothing without God and we are something amazing with GOD! Let’s remember these verses,
” Apart from Me(GOD) you can do nothing. ” John 15 : 5b
” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
When did we become grasshoppers?
When the 12 spies were sent by Moses to Canaan, 10 lacked faith and made this statement,
”We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:33b
When we look like grasshoppers in our own eyes, it’s not humility! It may look like humility but it’s a huge deception. It’s a huge lack of faith. What we say about ourselves is more important than what others say about ourselves. Joyce Meyer once said, ”It’s funny how some people discourage themselves without having Satan or anybody discourage them”.
On the other side of the scale the two spies(Caleb & Joshua) who had faith spoke differently. They said,
”We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 (Also read Numbers 14:37,38)
”For it’s impossible to please God without faith.” Hebrews 11:6
By belittling ourselves we are belittling God’s ability to work through us! So by talking negative you’re not pleasing God. We’re not grasshoppers! No way! We’re the image of God! We are more than Conquerors in Christ!
So what do we do ?
- Let us examine ourselves. Do we have any thought of pride in our mind? What we think will be uttered as words. So let’s replace thoughts of pride with that of boasting about Our Lord Jesus. And you’ll soon notice that you are always magnifying God.
“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” I Corinthians 1:31
- When we feel so small or someone looks down on us, let us remind us of the love and plans Jesus has for us, thinking of our true identity in Christ and start saying those things! Not with pride but with humility that all good things come from above and we are not sufficient on our own.
Let the weak say, “I am strong!” Joel 3:10b
“It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification (abilities, passion, blessings etc.) comes from God. ” II Corinthians 3:5
- And if you don’t know what to say JUST KEEP QUIET. It’s better to keep quiet than to talk rubbish! And when it gets really difficult to stay quiet we need to calm our mind by being still. I had been trying to stay quiet for many years but until I learnt to be still in His presence I was not able to stay quiet. I’m still working on this aspect. God is helping me out!
”If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.”Job 13:5
”Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:7
Stay tuned to read more about humility!
Dear pal,
Today let’s make a decision to be truly humble with true Christ centered confidence. Let’s think and say ”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and NEITHER boast, ”Only I can do it! I don’t need anyone” NOR sigh away with, ”Oh! I can’t do this! I’m nothing!”. Greater is He that is in us than he that’s in the world!