You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 NLT
Humility is defined as “freedom from pride or arrogance.” It is an attitude of spiritual modesty and includes:
- A willingness to see ourselves truthfully
- An accurate perception of our place in the world
- An ability to acknowledge our mistakes and limitations
It is also incredibly hard to learn.
And yet, Jesus, Who was fully God, fully modeled humility for us:
*He submitted to the indignations of being fully human.
*He submitted to being led into the wilderness. Mark says, “compelled by the Spirit.”
*He submitted to the humiliation of being tempted by the Devil, an angel destroyed by pride.
*He submitted to a shameful, painful God-ordained death.
So how can I ever think that I – who am fully human, too, but sadly prone to fail – have anything to be proud about?
But wait!
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT
So perhaps humility is stepping back and letting Christ live through me – consciously, continually and gratefully.
God walks with the humble; he reveals himself to the lowly;
he gives understanding to the little ones;
he discloses his meaning to pure minds,
but hides his grace from the curious and the proud.
Thomas a Kempis
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 NLT