Humility – A Daily Struggle

1 John 4:19-21 (NASB)
19 We love, because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Humility towards others, if we profess to love God, is the only proof that our humility towards God is real.

Every day I look at the “Holiness Meter” that I hung on my office wall a few months ago that has a pointer that can be adjusted between one end that says Pride and the other end that says Humility. If I am completely honest with myself, the meter needs to be adjusted towards the Pride side all of the time.

Along with reading of scripture, the books of Andrew Murray bring this topic into focus.

A humble person seeks to honor others, to be servants of others, counting others as better than ourselves. The struggle is when others don’t show the grace and mercy that we expect – should I say demand, especially from those that are our brothers and sisters in Christ. How easy it is to not be humble before another who shows us no grace. The expectation of humility, when it isn’t shown to us in others, drives our pride into full view.

Only when we see ourselves as nothing compared to the pure holiness of God, only when we have completely lost ourselves in Him, only when Jesus is our only focus, can we no longer compare ourselves to others.

1 Peter 1:14-16 (NASB)
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

How do we give up forever every thought of self, present ourselves as servants to ALL others? I think it begins by remembering that humility doesn’t start with our outward ways, but it begins in our hearts. Through prayer and meditation of scripture, we have the capability as new creatures in Christ to have that humble heart. When the Spirit leads us, there is no envy or jealousy, only love, for those emotions don’t exist in the Spirit. I long for the day when the only pride that is left in me is the pride that Jesus is my Savior.

Always praying for the glory of God,