Humility is Like Underwear …

I’ve thought for years I should write a book titled: The Ten Most Humble People and How I Mentored the Other Nine.

Yeah, right.

Humility is a virtue we all know we need, but if we know we have it … well, maybe we don’t have it after all.  I like the way Helen Nielsen said it. “Humility is like underwear; essential, but indecent if it shows.”

So who is the most humble person? Three names come to mind.

1. Moses. After all, the Bible describes him as humble. “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).
2. Jesus. The Son of God is our perfect example of how we are to live with humility (Phil. 2:5-11).
3. _______________________. Actually I don’t know the third person’s name. Maybe it’s you. But it is someone who loves Jesus wholeheartedly and serves so humbly and quietly that no one even notices.

I find such humility admirable in today’s world. We live in a world that encourages you to wave your own flag. Toot your own horn. Market who you are.

We base our self-perception on how many people follow us on Twitter or how many people like our Facebook posts. Even in Christian circles, we base our opinion on a person’s effectiveness in ministry by how many people follow her tweets or read his blog posts. (Even now, I waffle between encouraging you to share this blog post with others and not wanting to come across as someone only after more readers/followers.)

Nebuchadnezzar would fit right into our culture. He reigned over the vast Babylonian Empire in the 6^th century B.C. He had great power and incredible wealth—and he was proud of it. But his pride cost him. He had been warned, and he was stricken with boanthropy. In other words, he went nuts and for a season, thought he was cattle.

Nebuchadnezzar was restored when he acknowledged where greatness truly lies.

I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Dan. 4: 34-35).

I don’t need the taste of hay in my mouth for me to realize the greatness of God—and the smallness of me. And I hope you don’t either.

God honors our humility. Let’s honor Him by living humbly before Him.

This post is based on the study “Live Humbly” in Bible
Studies for Life.