A rich industrialist, who was also a generous philanthropist died after a brief illness. Tributes worldwide came and social media was filled with photos, videos, and his noble character. One businessman lauded his humility, and the next generation of entrepreneurs would miss this character role model. There was a torrent of criticism for this post, stating that stating he was humble was inappropriate and disrespectful.
Shameful: In Honor and Shame cultures, being humble is shameful. Humility is considered a weakness. In such cultures, pride is even considered a virtue. But the Bible teaches that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) God commends and rewards humility.
Model of the Lord: The birth of the Son of God happened in a humble cowshed and not in an emperor’s palace. He worked as a carpenter, hard labor before he was revealed to the Nation of Israel. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem was on a donkey, symbolizing peace, not a horse, symbolizing war, and violence. The Lord washed the feet of disciples which was the job of the least servant. (John 13:1-5) On the cross, he was deprived of all material possessions. The Lord humbled Himself that he was given the greatest name that every knee shall bow, and every tongue confesses Him as the Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11)
Salvation: The Psalmist sings that the Lord adorns the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4) A proud man cannot repent and confess his sin. He would rather hide or give excuses or justify his sin. However, the humble will humbly acknowledge himself as a sinner. Certainly, such sinners return from the presence of God as righteous.
Requirement: One of the important requirements of God for humans is humility. (Micah 6:8)
Relationships: Paul admonishes believers to serve one another humbly. (Philippians 2:3-4)
Moses was humble: Moses was the humblest person among all men on earth. (Numbers 12:3) That means he was gentle, kind, and meek. No wonder, he was one of the greatest leaders in human history.
Do I realize that humility is a God-glorifying mindset?