Humility Is A Great Virtue By Pastor Mike
When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then, when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7-11 NLT.
Another classic teaching from the Lord Jesus Christ. He always dishes out eternal words of wisdom that make the simple wise. And transform a person from being ordinary into an extraordinary human being.
This time, He used His observation at a feast to teach us a great lesson on humility. He noticed that the guests were all struggling to seat in the place of honor. They all wanted to be recognized. Exalting themselves above others. Obviously, displaying flawed human nature.
Usually, human nature loves to be exalted. Pride of life surely intoxicates. It manifests as a strong desire to be noticed and worshiped. Resulting in a superiority complex.
Humility is the antidote to pride. And we truly need to learn and imbibe its tenants. This will help deliver us from pride and rescue us from its destructive effects.
There is so much to learn from the scriptures about humility. It encourages us to humble ourselves and eschew pride. Humility is the nature of God while pride, it’s of the Devil. And as Children of God, we ought to exhibit the nature of our Father.
Even, our Lord Jesus humbled himself unto death. He left us a great example to follow. And it’s expected of us to inculcate it in our lives. For it’s the will of God for us.
God loves and supports the humble. He gives grace to all that submit themselves to Him. He empowers us to be able to resist and overcome the temptations satan brings our way through pride:
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:6-7, 10 NLT.
Humility is a great virtue. It pleases the Lord. It makes Him go all out to help the humble and exalt them in due time.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6 NIV.
God doesn’t want us to be arrogant. The Bible teaches us to esteem others above ourselves. There is no room for competition and schism. We all are to honor and compliment each other:
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:3-4 NLT.
Humility creates the atmosphere for us to thrive and learn.
It’s easier to learn valuable lessons from other people if we stay humble. So, we can deny ourselves the opportunity to benefit from each other if we refuse to submit to the Lord and each other:
And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 NLT.
Now, we are not talking about false humility, pretentiousness, or eyes-service crafted to deceive the unsuspecting. Humility is not an act we put on. It is not a show. You don’t do it to be seen and commended. It is real and should be part of our lives as children of God.
It’s also a form of pride to practice false humility. And pride is so terrible that God Himself resists the proud. It shows we don’t have regard for Him nor are interested in seeking Him. And that we completely rely on ourselves for sustenance.
God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
James 4:6 NIV.
False humility may work for a while, but it will not stand the test of time. It will surely be exposed for what it is. There are so many benefits to being truly humble. It opens doors for us to experience the blessings of the Lord in all spheres of our lives:
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.
Proverbs 22:4 NLT.
There is a lot to say about humility and the lack of it, which is pride. And from all indications, it doesn’t pay to be proud. We have so much to lose for not being humble. The consequences are too grave. One can’t afford to take chances on it.
So, I encourage us to embrace Jesus’ admonition of humility. And allow it to be our guiding principle in life. We have all to gain by humbling ourselves. It creates room for the Lord to lift us up and establish the works of our hands. It even makes us relate better with people. And opens endless opportunities to partner with people around us for greater success.
Considering that it’s not easy for human nature to stay humble, we should go to the Lord in prayer to receive strength.
Dear Lord, thank you for teaching us the importance of being humble. I repent of pride and ask for forgiveness. Cause me to resist the urge to be proud. I receive the strength to stay humble. My life will always be guided by your teaching of humility. Going forward, I will start reaping the benefit that comes from humility. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pst. Mike