A Biblical Humility

TO READ: Philippians 2:5-18

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:5

Humility is a view of ourselves learned at the feet of our Savior. Humility is born from a sense of dependence, not a false depreciation of ourselves. Biblical humility gives knowledge of derived worth. “I am worth something because of him,” we can say. I am worth dying for; I was worth creating, saving, sanctifying, glorifying. But none of this is apart from him. When we say we are worth anything apart from him, we are in trouble!

Humility was frowned upon in the ancient world. If a person was humble, he was considered a cringing object and was despised. Jesus Christ taught us the virtue of humility, and Jesus Christ was the supreme example. Jesus was meek and humble in spirit, and Paul says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5).

It is good to check up on ourselves once in a while. We need to ask ourselves, “What can I do today that will elevate the interests of the people around me above my own?” We can get so preoccupied with the cultivation of our own spiritual life that we can miss the noble traits of others.

We must search for and recognize the good qualities in fellow believers and emulate them in our own lives. If we would be like Jesus, we must humble ourselves.