Humility is one of the most important qualities that we all need to have. It's so important that God Himself would want it from us. Micah 6:8 tells us,
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Humility is a character trait that takes a lot of time and effort to develop. The effort in developing it in ourselves, however, won't go unrewarded. James 4:10 tells us,
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
Humility is very important to God . Through it we recognize our very small standing in comparison to God. We realize our unrighteousness in comparison to His righteousness, our uncleanness in comparison to His holiness. Without humility, we can never repent of our sin and turn to God.
Biblical examples of humility
Thankfully, the Lord didn't leave us in the dark as to how we can grow in humility. The Bible presents to us several people from whom we can learn humility. Here are some of them:
Humility in religious and intellectual matters - Paul
The apostle Paul is one of the men from whom we can learn humility. He gives to us a list of credentials in Philippians 3:4-6, but then he does what can only be done through humility in verse 7:
"If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."
Humility to remember God's goodness - David
David, famously known for being the Old Testament giant-slayer, is one of the men of God from whom we can learn humility. He came from obscurity, rose up to defeat a terror enemy named Goliath, and eventually sat on the throne as Israel's king. While pondering God's creation, he remembers:
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
Humility through painful experiences - Joseph
Joseph, Jacob's son, is well-known for two things: the special coat his father gave him, and his leadership over Egypt as its administrator. Between these two things is a slew of painful experiences. Through it all, however, he grew in humility, recognizing God's hand in everything. He told his brothers in Genesis 50:20,
"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."
The Paragon of humility
The greatest example of humility the Bible gives to us is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He - the only begotten Son of God - came down to earth and took on the lowest form ever: that of a servant.
Let's all learn from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Paragon of humility and all Godliness.
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)
