What is Humility?

Recently I came across a list detailing how to be successful. The item that stood out to me was item #7 on the list.

Successful people are able to admit that they know very little.

In other words, they are humble and teachable. They can receive instruction and be corrected when in error.

First of all, what is humility? I define humility as “living in the reality of my limitations independent of God; And because of those limitations, the acceptance of my inability to produce anything of eternal value apart from God. “ In short we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). But through Him, we can do all things. Phil. 4:13.

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Isaiah 66:2 tells us that God has favor on those who are humble and contrite in spirit and reverence His Word. A humble spirit is a teachable spirit. Humility allows others to come alongside us and pour into us. The area where they are strong can cover and shore up the areas where we are weak. At the end of the encounter we will leave having been built up and strengthened in those areas. And what was once a weakness is now becoming strength; strength that we too can now pass unto others.

In my youth I rejected wisdom. It wasn’t an aggressive rejection. It was more of a polite in one ear and out the other; all done with a winsome smile. I was pretty sure that I knew everything. And even if I didn’t, I knew more than everyone else. The hardest people to teach are people who don’t know nearly as much as they think they do, nor nearly as much as they should.

Humility makes room for God's Grace

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Had I been able to humble myself and receive instruction, I could have leveraged wisdom with time and given God a greater return. It is that old familiar refrain: If I only knew then what I know now.”

I have learned that we are never too old to start. We are never too old to learn. If we humble ourselves it will yield much fruit. We will be surprised by whom God has already positioned to help us. Sometimes all we have to do is ask. James 4:2

Ways to be Humble
• Look for ways and opportunities to serve others
• Ask God to help us develop a humble spirit; recognize our dependence upon God.
• Asking God to search our heart.

What Humility is not
• Genuflecting - if someone compliments you, it is okay to say thank you. So say thank you.
• Denigrating ourselves (or others)
• Comparing ourselves to others.
• Not thinking more or ourselves.

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