When surrounded by works of mankind, we can easily impress ourselves—with ourselves. Last fall Sheila and I make an east coast trek, and the skyscrapers of New York City astounded me. Towering buildings based on solid bedrock. Every square inch seeming used. Honestly, I felt pretty proud to be part of the human race that could craft such a place. But pride possesses a plethora of sources.
Skillfully crafting a lesson
the students responding
and I grew a little inside
Plumbing the depths of a Bible text
beginning to comprehend its meaning
I exulted
and I grew a little inside
Speaking at a conference
touching lives
and I grew a little inside
I need a mountain trip
where massive mountains humble my soul
where tumbling streams remind me I’m not the source
where a star-speckled nighttime sky
shows me my true size
We all need sources of humility—the mountains do that for me. They restore a balance of knowing how much God values me, along with a realization that I’m not Him. To me, that defines humility, as Jesus’ brother James said, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10). We kneel before God in humility, fully aware of the gap between His divinity and our humanity. As we do that, His love lifts us up into relationship with Him. Not as equals, not as peers, but as friends. We experience how He sees worth in us even as we sin.
But humility has a human dimension, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). James said humility changes our relationship with God: Paul said it also changes relationships with people. Humility doesn’t mean we have no worth nor value. God created us all with that. But humility does mean we have no more or less than anyone else. We don’t put ourselves above other. We don’t put ourselves below either. Knowing that God sees our worth allows us to see one another as He does.
Humility. Ironically, the key to connecting with God and one another.
Kick Starting the Application
Have you confused humility as presented here with thinking you have no or little value? If so, has that confusion hurt you? What best helps you build a godly humility? What areas in your life need more of this humility? What one specific act can you do this week to help that?