“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” (Matthew 5:5, NLT)
Humility is often thought of as a weakness, often characterized as someone shy and unmotivated. Yet Jesus was the most humble of all and far from weak, shy, or unmotivated.
Jesus was strong, bold, courageous, and motivated by the purposes of His Father. God esteems and blesses the humble. The quality of humility can be explained:
"Humility is not a weakness. Humility is placing yourself under the grace, glory, love, and mission of God. It gives you a supernatural ability to accomplish God's mission. Happy are the humble, for God will do above and beyond all they think or imagine, because the risen Lord Jesus will work mightily in them."
(from The Good Life by Dr. Derwin L. Gray, page 75)
The word 'humble' comes from the Greek word praeia. It conveys strength that is under control. It is strength under the control of another. The strength in humility can be seen in a horse that has learned to obey the commands of the one who is riding on its back.
There is a beauty, a grace, and a strength seen in such a horse as its strength is easily recognized. It could throw it riders from its back with the flip of a muscle. Yet it controls itself, heeding the directions and commands of its rider.
"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God." (Philippians 2:5-8a, NLT)
That's the beauty of humility as seen in Jesus. And we are called to have this very same attitude.
Humility -
it's a strength to place oneself under the complete authority and will of God.
Photo by Anton Konstantinov on Unsplash
Loved this Joanne, so challenging - pinned and tweeted :)
ReplyDeleteJoanne,
ReplyDeleteIt really struck me that even Jesus didn't put Himself on an equal plane with God...He was subservient to His Father's will. I love the idea of humility being "strength under control." Humility may not be seen as a virtue in our culture, but it's what God thinks that truly matters.
Blessings,
Bev xx
"he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being." - Humility is loving like that! So many attitudes in our culture need these God truths right now!
ReplyDeleteHumility draws, while arrogance repels. May we ever grow in humility like our Lord's.
ReplyDelete