Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
One of the best quotes I have heard about humility is one that says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less!” To have an attitude of humility is to restrain yourself from the urge to make yourself look more important than others, to show off. That is becoming harder to do with this generation because we are so quick to expose our lives on social media to show others how well we are doing.
The bible tells us in the book of James 4:10 that we are to humble ourselves before the Lord, and He will lift us up. Humility is not something we ask God to do for us; it is something we put on ourselves. To be humble is to be lowly and modest; it is opposed to being proud or haughty, arrogant or assuming. That definition reminds me of;
Philippians 2:3 (ESV)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
We also must put on Meekness. The bible says that Moses was the meekest man, more than all the men who lived on the face of the earth. To be meek means that one is gentle and humble in the way he deals with others in words and action. It is to have power but be able to control it. Not only that, it also means that one is submissive and obedient to the Lord, having a secure and confident trust in God being willing and able to do what He commands.
These two have to do a lot more with the attitudes of our heart. Remember, Christ now lives in your heart and you have a new nature.
Today, ensure that your heart is clothed with humility and meekness.
Reflections
When you think of humility, who is the one person in your cycles that comes to mind?
What is the greatest challenge you face when it comes to considering others as better than self?
Many proud people don’t think they are, ask a close honest friend to rate your humility or meekness quotient. Do you like what you hear? What does this mean to you?
