Humility is the path to life and salvation. When we come to Jesus, we have to have a certain level of humility to acknowledge that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. We have an understanding that there is nothing we can do to fix ourselves, but it is only through His blood and power that we can be changed.
Throughout our journey with God, humility will be one of the main ingredients that allows us to see what God desires for us. We will be able to see our true nature and how He wants to cut away those things that don’t belong to Him and replace them with His true character and godliness. This is also called our sanctification process. The more humble we are, the more benefit we can receive from the work of the Holy spirit in our lives!!
Here are some of the other benefits of Humility:
Humility is God’s will.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.James 4: 6
Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.Proverbs 16:5
Pride is an abomination to God, and he resists a proud person. On the other hand, to those who are humble He gives them grace. Grace is the ability to do that which you cannot do in your own strength. Many times the enemy whispers in our ears, “if you are humble, you will miss out on something or you will be taken advantage of”. The scripture basically tells us that God supports a humble person. When you are on God’s side, you will have everything you need for life and godliness. He will give us what you need for the situation and He will back us up when we choose not to defend ourselves.
A humble person has true confidence.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Psalm 34:2
The world teaches a different brand of confidence, but the Bible shows us a very different picture. Jesus was the most humble man, but He was also the most confident man who over walked on the face of the earth. He came into the world as a human being but did not strive to prove to everyone who He was. He was focused on the father’s business, teaching people the truth, loving the sinner and being about His kingdom more than He was trying to defend who he was.
Through humility wisdom is received.
When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
God gives a humble person great wisdom on how to navigate through life, the decisions one has to make, and the right way of relating to people. This wisdom is not just an experiential wisdom based on past success or failures. It is a heavenly understanding and solution to a situation. Through Godly wisdom we can access God’s mind and gain His perspective and solutions to a situation.
Humility cuts off selfish ambition.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.Phil 2:3-4
If you have noticed people who put others first, those who ask more questions rather than give answers are in a better relationship with others. These individuals don’t have to ensure everyone knows how capable and gifted they are, but they allow others to have room to grow and shine. That brings unity and love in the relationships and causes everyone to get built up and function in their proper place.
Humility allows us to submit to God and others.
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
God always has government with established authority. The first authority is the Lord himself but He also has set others to be in authority. In the home, it is the authority of the husband over marriage, the authority of parents over the children. In school, it is the authority of principle and the teachers over the students. At work, it is the authority of the bosses over the employees, and at church it is the authority of pastor and the elders over the congregation. When people operate in humility, they are able to submit to the established authority, recognizing that it has been set up by the Lord, and as a result they can function better in their respected responsibilities and positions.
Those who are in authority must be impartial and always walk with humility, not exasperating those under them. Those in authority truly show their humility when they value those under them and speak warmly and kindly of their efforts or who they are as people. Each leader shows their humility when they recognize that the success of their respective organization is largely due to the people who are working with them and under them, and so they give credit where credit is due.
Humility brings people together. As God’s people who have been given the ministry of reconciliation, we are called to reach out to a lost world with great humility and love, not forgetting where we have come from.
Ask the Lord to forge a greater humility in your heart. It is His desire to do it. The enemy on the other hand will look for any weak spot to come in and knock on the door of your heart so you can give in to pride and strife. When situations come up when you know that pride is about to raise its ugly head, recognize it for what it is and submit yourself to the Lord, and resist those thoughts and emotions. He will give us the grace to be His humble people!!