According to the dictionary and Weirsbe Bible Commentary, humility is a modest or low view of one’s importance.  It is selflessness and having dignity.  A humble person listens to and accepts others.  Humility is staying stable and maintaining power on the inside and not needing to control others on the outside.  Humble people think well of themselves and have a good sense of who they are, but they also are aware of their mistakes, gaps in their knowledge, and imperfections.  Humble people are content without being the center of attention or getting praise for their accomplishments. 

I like the idea that humble people do not think lowly of themselves and are quite stable and secure with themselves, and they do not view their importance as better than that of someone else.  They do not think they are better than another person, they do not think their point of view is the only right way, and they are not quick to give their opinion, unless asked.  Humble people are confident, polite, firm in their beliefs and actions, but do not boast about themselves and show arrogance. 

I tried to think of a biblical character who showed humility, and the only one that showed true humility was Jesus.  Joseph came close, but he did show arrogance at a young age with his brothers.  If Jesus was the only true humble person who walked on the earth, then we should try to imitate Jesus in every way.  Jesus loved everyone and gently guided people toward the Father.  When we let anger, boastfulness, and arrogance rule us, we must empty ourselves to allow the Father to fill us with humility.  This would require our daily submission to the Father and emptying ourselves of self and our ambitions and thoughts. 

Sometimes, we Christians, are so passionate about a given subject or situation, we become adamant that things go our way and how we want things to happen.  I know over the years, I have been very passionate about certain ministries and how ministry should happen.  I have had to go back and say I was wrong and bend low to the Father’s desires.  In some cases, I have had to ask forgiveness of someone else.  When we want things to go our way with a group of people or ministry that we mark as our territory, we need to just stop.  Stop, take a breath, and ask Jesus to take our passion and make it His passion.  We must stop long enough to seek His passion in a given situation; otherwise, anger rears its head and the passion, which turned to anger, will divide teams of people, friendships, and possibly an entire church.  Being a competitive person, I have done this very thing.  I have experienced that “mis-led passion” in family situations, church situations, friend situations, and at every level.  The older I become, the more I seek humility.  It takes me emptying myself and seeking Jesus’ thoughts and example, often. 

Even the Apostle Paul struggled with humility and was criticized by people when his opinions and thoughts were not shared.  In Acts 20:17-20, Paul says “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.”  Sometimes, we must humbly admit we may not be right, we may be wrong, realize it is not about us, and hold true to the fact that seeking humility, love, and unity is more important. 

The prophet Jeremiah wrote Lamentations to record his overwhelming grief as he scanned the desolation of Jerusalem. His people had not listened to God’s warnings, and now the once-proud city sat in ruins, its temple destroyed and its inhabitants in exile. In spite of the seemingly hopeless situation, however, two things gave the prophet hope – God’s compassion and love.

Jeremiah knew that God would keep his promise to restore his people to Jerusalem. He knew that God would preserve a remnant of the Jewish people who would return and rebuild the ruined walls. Jeremiah relied on the strength of God’s promises, which he found consistently faithful and uplifting.

In the same way, God’s promises to us are “new every morning.” God is faithful, and promises to care for us even when the world caves in upon us. We need to rely on him for the strength to get through each day – especially on our most difficult day. *

Our most difficult day was when our son, Michael, tragically passed away. Losing a child is the worst kind of pain parents can experience. Several years later, Suzanne and I visited the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave his “Sermon on the Mount.” There on the mountainside we saw a stone that said, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The Holy Land experience greatly influenced our lives.

In March 2022, I attended the Breakthrough Prayer Conference hosted by Reverend Sue Nilson Kibbey. That conference and a more recent one have greatly impacted my prayer life. For almost 500 days, I have prayed the following prayer each morning:

“Our God, We pray you will fill us with your wisdom, courage, peace, comfort, compassion, and joy. Give us a teachable spirit so we may grow in faith and love in Christ. We pray you will open our hearts and minds to receive new possibilities for us individually and also as a family. We know it is not our will but your will be done.” Amen.

After that prayer, with my five-minute egg timer that was handed out at the conference, I pray, “Heavenly Father, your servant is listening.”

My prayer life has been instrumental in my healing process and finding hope once more. I anticipate God is ready to do something new and exciting in my life.

In Romans 12:12, the Apostle Paul writes “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.”

Amen

* “The Journey,” Discovering God, pg. 1081. 1996 by Willow Creek Association.