Question 1

What causes humiliation?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah 2:9So now they will be humbled, and all will be brought low—do not forgive them.Jeremiah 3:25“Let us now lie down in shame and cover ourselves with dishonor, for we and our ancestors have sinned against the Lord our God. From our childhood to this day we have never obeyed him.”Lamentations 1:8Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. All who once honored her now despise her, for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated. All she can do is groan and hide her face.Daniel 9:8O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.Malachi 2:9“So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.”Our sin causes humiliation. When we disobey God, we walk from his presence into the shadows of shame and humiliation. Sin is humiliating because it constantly works to degrade us, making us unfit to be in God’s presence. We realize that we have let God down and disobeyed him. It tarnishes the image of God in us.2 Samuel 22:28You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.Esther 6:6So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?” Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?”Psalm 18:27You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.Proverbs 29:23Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.Isaiah 2:11, 17Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment. . . . Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.Isaiah 26:5He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust.Jeremiah 49:16“You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.Luke 18:9-14Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”1 Corinthians 1:27-29Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.Humiliation can be a consequence of pride. Pride seeks to elevate us above God and others. But in reality, it degrades us in the eyes of God and others. On judgment day, the proud will be humiliated when they realize how far they have fallen from God’s standards.Judges 16:21So the Philistines captured him [Samson] and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.Esther 6:12Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated.Proverbs 25:8Don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?Humiliation can be caused by defeat. The ultimate defeat and humiliation is to fall to Satan’s false promises.Proverbs 13:18If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.Humiliation can be a consequence of ignoring constructive criticism.Psalm 44:21God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.Jeremiah 2:26“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets—all are alike in this.”Luke 12:2“The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.”Sin brings shame, and getting caught is publicly humiliating. Too often, we think we can avoid humiliation by hiding our sins from others. We can never hide our sins from God, however, and someday all our sins will be revealed. But God doesn’t rejoice in our humiliation. He wants to restore our relationships—with him and with others. Accepting Jesus Christ as our savior and living with him as Lord can free us from the humiliation of our sins.1 Samuel 18:7-9This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.When we haven’t learned humility, we tend to feel humiliated by the success of others.Psalm 97:7Those who worship idols are disgraced—all who brag about their worthless gods—for every god must bow to him [the Lord].Isaiah 30:3“By trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.”Isaiah 42:17“But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame.”Isaiah 44:9, 11How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame. . . . All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame.Isaiah 45:16All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated. They will all be disgraced together.Hosea 10:6This idol will be carted away to Assyria, a gift to the great king there. Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed, because its people have trusted in this idol.Those who worship things instead of the One who made them, will be humiliated when they learn the consequences of their misplaced devotion.

Question 2

How can I overcome humiliation?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 4:1-6Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.Job 5:10-11“He [God] gives rain for the earth and water for the fields. He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.”Psalm 25:3, 20No one who trusts in you [the Lord] will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. . . . Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.Psalm 34:5Those who look to him [the Lord] for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.Humility is the first step toward overcoming humiliation. Humility comes when we recognize our need for God and acknowledge how he meets our needs.Psalm 119:5-6, 31, 39, 80Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. . . . I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! . . . Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. . . . May I be blameless in keeping your decrees; then I will never be ashamed.Philippians 1:20I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.Obedience to God’s Word and his ways helps us overcome and avoid actions that lead to humiliation.Proverbs 3:3-4Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.Proverbs 22:1Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.A good reputation sets up a barrier against humiliation.Mark 16:7“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”Luke 22:60-62Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.Peter was ashamed of himself for denying his Lord. Later Jesus forgave Peter completely. Had Peter not accepted Jesus’ forgiveness, he would have been paralyzed by his humiliation and been of no further service to God. We must accept the forgiveness offered to us in order to move past our experiences of humiliation.Luke 15:15-19“He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’”When life hits the bottom, we need to humble ourselves even more, so the Lord can restore us.

Question 3

What might be the result of being humiliated?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 44:15We can’t escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces.Humiliation can perpetuate itself, so we must deal with its causes before it consumes us.Lamentations 1:8Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. All who once honored her now despise her, for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated. All she can do is groan and hide her face.Humiliation may cause us to withdraw from others.Hebrews 12:15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.Humiliation can cause bitterness. Bitterness, if allowed to fester and grow, will overshadow all we do and render us useless in serving God. Releasing bitterness isn’t easy. Talking about forgiveness is easier than actually forgiving. But only when we release our bitterness can God’s Holy Spirit work freely in our lives and help us start anew.Numbers 13:32-33So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”Numbers 32:7, 9“Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them?” . . . After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them.Deuteronomy 1:28“Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, ‘The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!’”Humiliation can lead to discouragement.Proverbs 12:4A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.Isaiah 47:3You will be naked and burdened with shame. I will take vengeance against you without pity.”Humiliation is burdensome and weakens us.

Question 4

What can I learn from humiliation? How can it help me grow?

Accepted Answer

Ezra 9:6I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.”Psalm 51:3I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.Luke 15:16-19“The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’”When we finally realize the damaging and humiliating effects of our sins, we have two choices. We can either continue in the downward cycle, or we can reach up to God by confessing our sins and repenting of them. We may think and feel ignoring our humiliation will make it go away, but that’s like wearing dirty glasses and pretending we see clearly. Only through confession and repentance can our humiliation be washed away.2 Chronicles 7:14“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”2 Chronicles 12:7, 12When the Lord saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem. . . .” Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.2 Chronicles 32:26Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the Lord’s anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.Humiliation can lead to our seeking and receiving God’s mercy and forgiveness.Isaiah 57:15The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”Nahum 2:2Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah, the Lord will restore its honor. Israel’s vine has been stripped of branches, but he will restore its splendor.Restoration and refreshment can follow humiliation. Sometimes we must be broken to be made whole; we must be wounded to be healed; we must become nothing to become something.2 Kings 5:9-15So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”Matthew 1:19-21, 24-25Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” . . . When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.Humiliation can lead to trust and obedience. Sometimes we may not learn to trust and obey until difficulties force us to.Psalm 25:9He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.Proverbs 11:2Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.1 Corinthians 4:14I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.Humiliation can lead to instruction, understanding, and wisdom.Proverbs 15:33Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.Proverbs 18:12Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.Proverbs 22:4True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.Proverbs 29:23Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.Luke 14:11“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Humiliation and shame may lead to humility. Humility leads to confession and forgiveness, thoughtfulness in our speech, and wisdom in our actions. This leads to honor.Psalm 131:1Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.Luke 2:7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.2 Corinthians 8:9You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.Philippians 2:6-8Though 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 and died a criminal’s death on a cross.Hebrews 13:12-14So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.As we humble ourselves, we become more like Jesus, for he humbled himself to the point of dying on the Cross for our sins.

Question 5

In what ways can my humiliation affect others?

Accepted Answer

Job 19:9“He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.”Psalm 109:22-25I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust. My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones. I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.Isaiah 47:2, 5“Take heavy millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view.” . . . “O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms.”James 2:2-4For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?Our humiliation affects how others perceive us, especially if we have caused our humiliations by sinful attitudes and actions.

Question 6

How can I humble myself when I am humiliated?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 8:3-4When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?Micah 6:8No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.Luke 18:10-14“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”John 1:27, 30“Though his [Jesus’] ministry follows mine [John the Baptist’s], I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” . . . “He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”Humbling ourselves is the natural result of our realizing who God is and who we are in comparison.Romans 11:20Yes, but remember—those branches [the Jewish people] were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you [Gentile believers] are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.Philippians 2:3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.Humility comes from seeing ourselves as God sees us. We are also humbled when we see others as God sees them. When we love and value others as God does, we are taking an important step toward humility.Luke 1:48[Mary:] “For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.”Luke 14:7-11When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Luke 22:26“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”Acts 20:19“I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.”1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Humility is a lifestyle of service to God.2 Kings 22:19“‘You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.’”Titus 3:2They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.Humility affects how we interact with God and others.