God not only commends humility in His people, but Jesus displayed it in His humanity. “And being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death – even the death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus demonstrated humility in every aspect of His life: He was born in the humblest of circumstances; He was obedient to His earthly parents; He said, “I am among you as one who serves”; He washed His disciples’ feet on the night of His betrayal; He was obedient to His Father’s will in His death.
The promises of God toward those who are genuinely humble are breathtaking: He promises to dwell with them, to esteem them, to give them grace, to lift them up, and to exalt them. Humility is the soil in which the other traits of the fruit of the Spirit grow. It manifests itself in our relationships – with God, with ourselves, and with others. It is the proper attitude to have as we approach every relationship and circumstance.
There are several ways humility is evidenced in the life of the believer. To begin with, if you are genuinely humble you will accept others, because you have accepted yourself. This does not mean you necessarily agree with what they believe or do. When others succeed, you will be happy for them; when they fail, you will try to encourage them.
A lack of humility on the part of the disciples of Jesus was a constant source of friction, and it must have grieved Jesus. The disciples argued among themselves as to which of them would sit on His right hand when Jesus entered into His kingdom. The presence of pride in their hearts is why they came to Jesus to ask the question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). Our Lord placed a little child in their midst and told them that they had to become like a child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Another evidence of humility is that you will accept circumstances. When circumstances do not go your way, do you become angry and critical? Do you always try to manipulate people and circumstances to either benefit or comfort yourself? The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). This does not mean you should never try to improve your circumstances, for that would be complacency, not contentment. But it does mean that you will not spend the majority of your time complaining.
A third evidence of genuine humility is that you will have a healthy attitude toward things. The person who possesses genuine humility does not find satisfaction in things: he can do with or without them. He does not measure anyone’s worth by how much wealth he (or she) owns, for “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he (or she) possesses” (Luke 12:15). If things can change your attitude, then they can be your master, not your servant – and that is the sin of idolatry. It is not how many things you own, but whether or not those things own you.
Material wealth is either a window through which we see God or a mirror in which we see ourselves. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we brought nothing into the world, and that we can carry nothing out. (I Timothy 6:7). As a pastor I have presided over literally hundreds of funerals, but I have never seen a Brinks truck in a funeral procession carrying the wealth the deceased person had accumulated to a destination beyond the grave. No matter how much you accumulate in this life it will be left behind – literally all of it!
Only what you have done for others and for the glory of God will be in the bank of heaven waiting for you when God chooses to call you home. It is why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit (humble), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
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