What the Bible says about humility and what it looks like to be humble (2023)

FAQs

What the Bible says about humility and what it looks like to be humble? ›

The Bible defines humility as “the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 22:4). Its etymological root is in the Latin word "humus" meaning "of the earth." To be humble is to be face down in the dirt, submitting to the authority of another, without personal pride. This is the Christian's proper position before the Lord.

God's Word tells us that, as Christians, we are to submit to one another in lowliness of mind. “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. '” 1 Peter 5:5-6.

“The person who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.” Some people brought little children to Jesus to have him hold them.

Part of being humble means realizing that you don't have all the answers. No one does. Humble people acknowledge what they do and do not know and enlist help for the latter. Humility displays a willingness to learn and become better–two things that everybody should cultivate.

“By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6.

Humbleness and humility both refer to the quality of being modest. While humbleness can also mean the state of being or feeling low in rank, as in The humbleness of his upbringing accustomed him to living simply, humility only refers to having a modest opinion of oneself.

The greatest example of humility in Scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are instructed to follow His example. Like Jesus, we are to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than [ourselves]” (Phil. 2:3).

Jesus' humility on earth comes in the form of not taking advantage of the pleasures and luxuries He had in heaven as the Son of Man. Instead, He took it upon Himself to be amongst the sinners and the poverty that His people had to endure. He even suffered an agonizing death to save us from our sins.

God gives grace to the humble.

Humility is a grace that attracts more grace. Pride closes the door to spiritual growth, but humility opens the door of your life to more of God's grace. To the humble, God gives patience, and peace, and gentleness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in the soil of humility.

What are the three types of humility? ›

He discussed Humility as three types: intellectual, moral and personal.

In Chasing Humility, he helps you explore eight essential aspects of humility in the life of a Christian: authenticity, confidence, gratitude, love, praise, empowerment, mentoring, and breaking barriers.

God commands us to cultivate humility. “Humble yourselves (I Peter 5:6, James 4:10),” before God by accepting His Word and Providence without grumbling, and before other people by putting their interests above your own (Philippians 2:1-5). Coupled with humility is the fear of the Lord.

And Psalm 25:9 is saying that he teaches the humble his way. So the key to righteousness and the key to experiencing the ways of God, the abundant life that God has designed for us, his ways in our lives, is humility. So we pray, Oh, God, we ask for humility in each of our lives. God, we pray for humility.

When His disciples asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus called a little child to come to Him and chided them, saying: “Whosoever … shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:1, 4).

: freedom from pride or arrogance : the quality or state of being humble. accepted the honor with humility.

A humble person does not flaunt their wealth, status, accomplishments, or anything else they may have. They are modest and often embarrassed by praise. Instead of being proud of themselves, a humble person will be happy for others who deserve the credit.

Jesus tells His followers that “Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”

What is the best story in the Bible about humility? ›

The Assyrians captured King Manasseh and took him away. The Bible tells us that after he was captured, Manasseh humbled himself before God and prayed. Because Manasseh humbled himself, God helped Manasseh by rescuing him and bringing him back to Jerusalem and restoring his kingdom.

To close, cultivating humility pushes us closer to the Lord. By cherishing His supreme role, we appreciate more about His grace and depend deeper on His promises. Once we come before Him, with Him on the throne instead of ourselves, we are able to grow in humility with others.

Greatness in God's eyes is seen through humble service. The goal of godly leadership is serving with a humble heart. Humility is revealed in a leader when we are serving God and serving others. Humility is offering up our lives for others to see the love of Christ, for them, in us.

By being humble, we are better able to celebrate the successes of others without feeling jealous or resentful of their progress. Once we are attuned to how others are feeling, and are able to respect their accomplishments, interpersonal relationships and networks become stronger.

Humble people are not only more polite and considerate, but they also have stronger self-control as they know what they are doing at all times. A humble person focuses on achieving personal goals and organizational targets,. Humility makes people better learners and thinkers.

Rule of St. Benedict. Concerning obedience The first grade of humility is obedience without delay.

It is not in denial of your talents and gifts but to recognize them and live up to your worth and something greater. It is in the service to others that is the greatest form of humility.

Jesus was GOD and yet, out of His great love for us, He chose to come to earth as a human. Jesus even chose to obey God the Father to the point of dying an embarrassing and painful death on the cross for our sins. Jesus is the perfect example of humility, and we are called to follow His example.

NPS. Dwennimmen, literally meaning "ram's horns," symbolizes that even the strong have to also be humble. The symbol is a bird's eye view of two rams butting heads, and the rams' horns symbolizes strength and humility through the characteristics of a ram.

How did Ruth show humility? ›

With bold humility, Ruth sets out for a landowner's fields to glean, to pick up what the harvesters have left behind. She does not complain. She is not proud, and she doesn't concern herself with what others might think. Ruth simply obeys God's law and accepts what God provides.

Humility is an attitude of spiritual modesty that comes from understanding our place in the larger order of things. It entails not taking our desires, successes, or failings too seriously. In the past decade in particular, psychologists have rediscovered the importance of humility.

Humility as a value, at its highest, allows selflessness and dignity for a better world. A person with humility listens to and accepts others. Humility is staying stable and maintaining power on the inside and not needing to control others on the outside.

Scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). But what does it mean to be humble? To be humble is to realize how weak we are, how helpless we are to change the course of our lives in our own power. It's to ask God for His forgiveness and to trust Him for His guidance.

It tells the “son” for whom Proverbs is meant to watch out when a ruler invites him to dinner. No matter how good the food, he should curb his appetite. The food is deceptive. The point is not a warning about poison, or that eating too much may dim your wits.

Proverbs 22:4 Tells Us the Reward of Humility

And not everybody who is poor is proud. So, the picture here in this proverb is that there's reward that comes with humility and fear of the Lord. Life and honor are found in fearing God, and being humble before God.

12 Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive.

He was humble no matter his station in life. He gave god the glory for the good, he confessed and repented for the bad. David saw no reason to exalt himself, but God did it for him. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

Humility acknowledges not only our need for God but also our need for others. We submit ourselves to fellowship, prayer, and laboring with other believers who may think differently than we do.

Does God call us to be humble? ›

Humility is a grace that attracts more grace. Pride closes the door to spiritual growth, but humility opens the door of your life to more of God's grace. To the humble, God gives patience, and peace, and gentleness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in the soil of humility.

James 4:10 in Other Translations. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Humility helps one extend more compassion and empathy to others. 2 Those who practice humility are more likely to consider others' beliefs and opinions. 3 This is most likely because humility offers the opportunity to become less self-involved and more attuned with the feelings of others.

To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and to obey as servant. In order to do so, then, the Son had to take “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). “We, as creatures, must obey our Creator, and he, as our brother, did the same.”

He was born in a lowly barn, He put others before Himself, and He never bragged. Jesus tells His followers that “Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”

We also humble ourselves under God's mighty hand by not following after fleshly lusts and living honorably before our fellow man (1 Peter 2:11-12; 4:1-4). We are to humble ourselves before God by practicing love for one another (1 Peter 1:22-23; 1 Peter 4:8).

And Psalm 25:9 is saying that he teaches the humble his way. So the key to righteousness and the key to experiencing the ways of God, the abundant life that God has designed for us, his ways in our lives, is humility. So we pray, Oh, God, we ask for humility in each of our lives. God, we pray for humility.