The 2 drivers for expressing humility in our relationships; the fear of the Lord (relating to God) and walking in agape (relating with others).

Background

Humility is often misunderstood. If someone asked you a direct question; say, ‘Elyse, are you humble?‘ what would your response be? Yes/No/Not Sure/I think so/ etc…. 🙂 Now that is something to consider….

Early this year, I said to one of my ‘elders’ … ‘I admire your humility, that is something I’ll be learning from you this year‘.

Honestly, that sounded really good to me, but even as I said it, I wasn’t really sure what it meant. Truth? there were aspects of this person’s life that one may not really judge as ‘humble’.

So here I am, desiring to learn humility and yet not fully understanding what humility truly means…

Hey, it’s Friday!!!

Welcome to a brand new study series on my blog; Bible Perspectives on Humility. I trust God that this series will be refreshing, exciting, instructive, …and humbling.

Study Scope

In this study series, among other things we will look at;

Definitions of humility (dictionary and biblical), false humility, relationship between humility and obedience, who to be humble to, benefits of being humble, results of prideful living.

Introduction

Humility is a virtue every Christian should strive for. Three immediate benefits of combining humility with the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and a long life (Proverbs 2:24).

“True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.” Proverbs 22:4. NLT

In Mathew 11:29 Jesus admonishes us to be lowly in heart, just as He is. According to Jesus, this manner of living will helps keep our soul at rest (….I will think that is because you do not have anything to prove to anyone).

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 NKJV

A lowly person is someone who is humble in manner and spirit. This suggests that humility is more of the state of the mind more than an outward demeanor.

In Philippians 2:5, Paul, citing Jesus as an example shows that humility when done properly, does lead to elevation or exaltation.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

So, humility is a noble trait, as having a lowly estimation of oneself leads to elevation, exaltation, riches, honor and long life.

I already love humility! But what exactly is it?

What Is Humility?

Dictionary Definition of humility

Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. It is meekness, lowliness and absence of self. Humble people appreciate little things, they respect others and are open to other viewpoints and ideas, they keep their success, accomplishments and achievements in perspective, they acknowledge their mistakes and limitations, they take responsibility for their actions, they listen more and talk less, they do not go around saying they are humble.

Some synonyms for humility are; modesty, meekness, lowliness, submissiveness, diffidence.

Some antonyms for humility include; pride, self-importance, arrogance, haughtiness, etc

So, what do you think? How do you score based on this dictionary definition of humility? Poor/Fair/Good/Excellent? 🙂

One important thing to clarify at this point is that having a low view of oneself should never be interpreted as being a pauper, a beggar, an unimportant or irrelevant person. To humble oneself does not mean to have low self esteem neither does it mean to suffer from rejection or insecurity. There is liberty/freedom where the Spirit of The Lord is.

Every child of God has been bought by the precious priceless blood of Jesus Christ, and as such is royalty, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own ‘peculiar people’. You are like a Lamp on a Lampstand.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
I Peter 2:9 NKJV

Humility is a state of the mind, and not just an outward demeanor. Someone can be outwardly humble and yet arrogant and prideful in their thoughts and actions as shown by their decisions and choices.

It is also important to note that this dictionary definition of humility essentially focuses on a view of oneself relative to others. And depending on how you look at it, this definition may seem somewhat tilted more towards describing a group of persons with some form of real or perceived achievement, accomplishment, worth, value, etc, who inspite of that, are humble (…just an observation).

Question: Can a poor person be arrogant? Can an uneducated person be prideful? Can someone without any significant worth, talent or achievement (by the world’s standard and ranking) be arrogant?

I leave you with these thoughts. In the next part, we consider Bible meanings of humility.

A Vessel of Honor and Grace is a person embodying a particular quality, attribute, trait, gift or talent for the service of God and the benefit of mankind, who receives and communicates only the wisdom and counsel of God derived from the Word and the Spirit. Any disciple of Jesus Christ can become this vessel

If only we can like Martha identify the areas of our Christian faith that need strengthening. Can we like Martha be sincere and honest about the pressure points in our faith walk? If only we can be humble and cry out to the Lord; ‘Lord help my unbelief!’, the Master will not condemn us, but He will most eagerly stoop down and help us up.

I believe that every member of the Body of Christ was gifted with special and specific talents for the overall good of all. God is a good and loving Father, He is not partial or unjust.

A vessel of honor and grace therefore is that disciple of Christ who studies to show himself approved, who reads, studies and meditates on the Word, and whose life/work is powered by the Holy Spirit.

when God (not man) establishes our financial integrity, He will entrust us with True Riches to enable us manage whatever Project and Resources (human, material, financial) He (already) planned and designed us for.

See, all 4 kinds of soil were exposed to the Word. The Seed located a soil as soon as it left the Sower’ hand. Thus giving every soil type an opportunity to do something with the Seed it received. The Word dropped in each heart, say, as a gift. They all heard the Word. Apart from the Wayside heart, the Word seemed promising and full of potential to the other soil types. However, the only soil type (heart) that valued the Word enough and therefore guided it, kept it, protected it (from unbelief, temptations and distractions) was the Good Soil. In addition to protecting the seed-gift, the Good Soil believed the Word, put the Word to work (acting upon it and confessing it) continuously and patiently until the Seed yielded the expected outcome.

Hello there,

Welcome to the 3rd and final part of this series. In Part 1 and Part 2, we teased out 4 forms of weights that can potentially stop us from making it to the finish line in our race of faith….

1. Bitterness resulting from unearned hostility.
2. Resentment resulting from chastening. 
3. Unbelief resulting from Godlessness
4. Strife resulting from unguided envy and jealousy. 

Ofcourse a lot more other things can be added to this list. We’ve mainly focused on Hebrews 12. 

In this concluding part, we consider how to lay these weights aside. 

Our reference scripture again is Hebrews 12, with emphasis on verses 1 and 2…

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 

You know, Hebrews 12:1-2 doesn’t just tell us to watch out for weights (lifestyles, choices, actions, etc) which can slow us down in our race of faith. Fully embedded in those 2 verses of scripture are also what we must do to finish our race of faith.

1. Strip off the weights
2. Take your eyes off the weights and all they represent
3. Look forward; fix your eyes on Jesus as you run towards the finish line
4. Run your race with endurance and active persistence
5. Win the race; win the crown. 

Let’s discuss these below; 

Strip off the Weights

Four easy steps to stripping off anything will include;

1. detach, disconnect or remove the thing
2. drop it
3. step away from it
4. move on. 

Many times we just read and quote “looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith”.  Well, Jesus is definitely the Author and Finisher of our faith, but I doubt that anyone can sustain the kind of gaze spoken of in Hebrews 12:2 with weights fully strapped on. And if we convince ourselves that we’ve dropped these weights but don’t direct our focus on the right thing, we might also end up moving in circles. 

So, drop the weights and look forward (unto Jesus). It is impossible to be looking forward and backward at the same time. 

Somebody says, ‘Grace, you say that like it’s easy’. Well, I believe that things/people/situations are only as important as we make them. Selah!  

Now there are 2 main players around the weights we’ve listed…. God and other people.  Godlessness and unbelief point to our relationship with God, while bitterness and strife point to our relationship with other people. So the obvious solutions would be; embrace God, embrace other people. 

Embrace God, Your Purpose & Calling 

The primary reason God created man was for fellowship. Fellowship with Him first and then fellowship (friendly association) with other people of similar interests. And of course, everyone is created to fulfill a specific purpose in this life. We find that purpose in the creator, ….in God. Embrace God, your purpose and calling. That is a key way to ‘look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our Faith‘.  

Common antonyms for unbelief are belief and faith. Faith comes through the Word of God…..

“‘So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 NKJV. 

Meaning that the more we expose ourselves to the Word of God, the more successful we are at pushing away unbelief and Godlessness. Prayer, worship and service in the house of the Lord are also ways we build our relationship with God. Thanksgiving is a big deal. It is a faith booster and builder. Let our mouths never be void of thanksgiving and testimonies. 

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28 

If you’re still trying to answer the question; What Is My Purpose In Life? Stay with God, Your Maker, it will become clearer. But while you’re at it, stay busy with the Father’s Business. The “Father’s Business” is simply to help others Know the Father, Believe the Father and Follow the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:19‭-‬20 NKJV

Walk in Love

Agape love is the antidote to strife, hatred, envy, jealousy, and all forms of expressions of carnality towards another Believer or person. My latest article on agape love, coined from 1 Corinthians 13 is titled ‘How Do You Love?’ 

I am still being blessed by that blog post. So I encourage you to read it. 

“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]” Galatians 5:16 AMP 

A major hindrance to expressing agape is the spirit of unforgiveness.  One of my recent YouTube videos, discusses in very simple terms; 5 Secrets to Taming The Spirit of Unforgiveness

“Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.  AMP

“Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven” Matthew 18:21-22 AMP. 

Going by Matthew 18:21-22, forgiving people should be a lifestyle for every Christian. But I am also quickly reminded of Mark 9:43 and 1 Timothy 6:5..

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— “ Mark 9:43 NKJV

“..useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.” I Timothy 6:5. NKJV

So while we forgive and walk in agape, there are associations, people, places and things we must cut off and withdraw from. If there is anyone, anything or any place that continually remains a source of the weights we’ve discussed in this study, cut them off and/or withdraw from them. 

“Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.“
Proverbs 26:20 NKJV 

And if you are reading this and you think you’ve been operating as a source of weights to another Believer, you can stop today. Stop being a tool in the hand of the enemy. When the devil tries to sow the seed of discord and defilement among brethren through you, recognize immediately that his purpose still remains to steal, kill and destroy. 

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
Mark 9:42 NKJV

Resist the devil and he’ll flee….

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 NKJV

Grab Your Faith Enablers

People talk about faith extenders/enablers, well, here are my 3 critical support for our faith walk; hope, patience/endurance and active persistence. 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”  Hebrews 11:1  NKJV

“Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying”  Hebrews 12:3 ERV 

You know, the picture in my head of active persistence is like pushing through a resistance. Pushing steadily, purposefully and with determination to win. To win, we need to be geared to do ‘active persistence’ everyday!  

Brethren, we are in a race. Our faith walk is a race. We are walking towards maturity and perfection, and towards our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, towards a crown. No beating the air, no distractions, no unnecessary weights, baggage or bandages. We are set in our tracks, we run purposefully and with determination and We Win!  We Have To Win. Halleluyah!!! 

Take a look below (Hebrews 12:22-24) at the crowd awaiting our arrival at the finish line….they are waiting to celebrate us…..

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels [in festive gathering], and to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to God, who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect [bringing them to their final glory], and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant [uniting God and man], and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].”
Hebrews 12:22‭-‬24 AMP 

Thank You Father for this Word. Thank You.

And thank you dear for staying with me through this study. I believe that it blessed you, just the way it blessed me. 

Stay Blessed, In The Word and In The Covenant. 

Love Always. 

I find it particularly instructive that Esau was Hebrews 12 example of godlessness.. Esau’s crime essentially was that he lacked the fear of the Lord. He had no regard for holiness and righteousness