Genuine Humility

by Susan Klein on March 09, 2022

If someone asked you to define the word, “humility,” might you struggle a bit? Would it conjure up images of self-abasement or diffidence? It is a tough word to fully comprehend, let alone explain.

In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis does an excellent job of delving into this topic. Uncle Screwtape (a devil) gives his nephew advice on how to keep his “patient” (any human) out of relationship with God.

At one point in the story, Screwtape advises to catch the human at a point of genuine humility, and give him a dose of self-satisfaction about his actions, so that pride will be his reward. Ever happen to you?

He goes on to explain to his nephew that God (portrayed as the enemy) desires to turn man’s attention away from self and toward Him. Screwtape encourages his nephew to conceal this truth from his patient, and replace it with a lowly opinion of himself, his abilities and his character. Sound familiar?

He reiterates how this will confuse people into thinking that humility means to denounce their virtues, or at least, not admit to them. This is a win for the great deceiver!

I’d venture to guess that most of us tend to avoid talking about humility for fear of sounding prideful. At times, we may even entertain thoughts of self-deprecation rather than admitting to our strengths.

If true humility is turning our eyes toward God, and all He is and does, then we are not wrong to consider the good He is doing in and through us. God desires for us to not only acknowledge, but to rejoice in the gifts and talents He has blessed us with, which ultimately brings glory back to Him.

Some might describe humility as, “thinking of others better than myself,” or “thinking more of others and less of me.” While these are good practices, they must not leave God out of the equation, desiring to bring honor to Him, and not to self.

In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul exhorts, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (2:3-4). Note here that we are not called to completely ignore or deny our interests or gifting from God, just to humbly consider others as well.

Paul goes on to use Jesus as our example for humility. Jesus, while never claiming to be anything less than God, who was in very nature God, “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” (2:5-7). What a powerful statement!

Here He was, fully God, yet He lowered Himself to being fully man so that He could better minister to others. He didn’t flaunt His position or authority, yet He didn’t deny who He was either. He acknowledged the truth and exhibited His God-qualities as He related to the people He ministered to.

Perhaps a definition of humility might be, “thinking more about relating with Jesus as we relate with others.”

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