Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”I used to think that thinking poorly of myself was equivalent to humility.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5-
And that to be truly humble, I needed to only think of others positively and to look poorly upon myself.
True humility looks to Christ, I'm realizing.
When I take the time to look through the Gospels at everyday Jesus, I never get the impression that Jesus hated himself, thought poorly of himself, or didn't care for himself.
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.So why did I have it wrong?
1 Peter 3:8-9
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.True humility loves the Lord with all my heart.
Colossians 3:12-14
True humility seeks to serve others out of a love for God.
True humility uses my gifts so that things don't go lacking the skills God has given me.
True humility is recognizing that because I am in Christ, I am a new creation, and therefore can walk forward in confidence.
True humility whispered father forgive them for they know not what they do. Those words didn't serve Jesus. They served everybody else. He died not out of hatred but because of love.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11
I want to learn to be humble in the way that Jesus was humble. In Philippians 2, it's the line "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself" that strikes me as true humility.
My sins tell a different story, but my heart understands that equality with God cannot be grasped.
I don't want to be equal with God. I simply want to be allowed near Him. Jesus already gave me that opportunity and so I can walk confidently in that. And because of what Jesus did on the cross, I can empty myself for the sake of the cross, for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of my sweet Jesus.
I'm still learning, and I still have pretty much no clue at all.
What do you think about my new perspective? Honestly, I'm still working it out. I still have much to learn. What does humility mean to you? How do you live with confidence, acting out the gifts God has given you, while also working to be humble? Tell me friend!
