Humility > Pride
Humility has always been a highly valued characteristic of mine. I’ve been on quite a journey to discover true humility and I should admit that I am still on that journey.
hu·mil·i·ty \ hyü-ˈmi-lə-tē, yü- \
freedom from pride or arrogance
“Freedom from pride.” So what does pride mean? One definition in the Oxford dictionary defines pride as “consciousness of one's own dignity” (dignity meaning “being worthy of honor or respect.”)
We know according to scripture that:
“Pride comes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18 HCSB
Don’t be mistaken: Pride, which is a lack of humility, can take many forms.
Rich Langton says, in his blog called Being Outstanding vs. Standing Out, “Sometimes we think we're too good to do certain acts of service. At other times we don't think we're good enough. If we're to be outstanding, we need to live with a sense of boldness AND humility – they go hand in hand.”
A lack of humility can be when you believe you’re too good and when you put off that you’re not good enough. Superiority and inferiority.
Let’s break the two down.
Too good / Superiority → When pride looks puffed up
In Luke 18:9-14, we can easily see how the Pharisee is arrogant while the tax collector comes humbly before God.
But how many times have you looked at a brother or sister in Christ and said “At least I’m not them?” This could be comparing lifestyle choices, how early you arrive to serve, how kind you are in speaking with others, and the list goes on and on.
As Matthew 7:1 says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”Don’t be like the Pharisee who forgot that it is God in us that makes us righteous.
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”
2 Cor 4:7-8
Not good enough / Inferiority → When pride looks humble
Let’s look at Moses’ burning bush experience: Read Exodus 3:1-7; 3:10-14; 4:1-14.
Here are some things I noticed in these verses when it comes to false humility:
Moses is not in his own right “good enough” but God’s word makes him good enough. When Moses approaches the burning bush, the Lord tells him to take his shoes off for He is on holy ground. Moses is unworthy but God’s call makes him worthy.
“I will be with you” for the Lord should be all that is needed. Moses received three different signs from God to use as proof to the people yet this was not good enough:
Where’s the application in that for us? God is with me. Why should I doubt my calling?
Doubt and focus on ourselves causes the Lord’s anger to burn. We see it in Exodus 4 when Moses again questioned God asking Him to send someone else because his speech was not eloquent.
I read an article on this issue of inferiority from Psychology Today called “False Humility”:
“In a society that glamorizes humility, the enactment of humility becomes more important than a true embodiment of it.”
It’s like growing up in the south where your initial responses are “please, thank you, God bless you” all the while rolling your eyes or judging the person you’re speaking to. Up north, I have found it is not like this. I once heard a friend from New York say, “We are black and white. We don’t say “bless your heart” and then stab you in the back.
“True humility doesn’t seek happiness in the recognition of others, and in that way, has no one to feel inferior to.” When our true identity and confidence does not rely on God we tend to lean on others for our self-esteem.
This naturally can lead to a feeling of inferiority, i.e. “What if they question my words, what if I’m laughed at, what if I sound stupid?” None of that matters if your confidence is in the Lord.
Practicals: How to stay humble and recognize when you are not living humble
Are you remaining teachable? There’s always someone who knows more than you. Remain teachable. Do you have a willingness to listen and follow? We see this in Samuel’s life in 1 Samuel 3 when it comes to his spiritual mentor AND the Lord:
Samuel listened to Eli’s instruction on how to respond to the voice calling his name.
When called by God (once he listened to Eli and realized it was the Lord) Samuel responded with “Speak, for your servant is listening.”” 1 Samuel 3:10
This whole bit ends with “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.” 1 Samuel 3:19
By coming to God with a humble heart and a humble spirit, The Lord was with him and did not let him fall.
Samuel’s humble approach to God reminds me of James 4 where it says:
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
If you want to seek God more and find humility in your life, read and reflect on James 4 in the The Passion Translation and ask God to reveal to you areas that need humility!