Humility is the foundational virtue upon which real success is attained (cf. Mt. 5:3). “The great leaders of men in all fields have not been the arrogant and the greedy, but the servants” (John E. Mitchell). Jesus said, “whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall by your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:26-28).
Gordon T. Smith writes, “The call to humility is a call to serve God with sober minds—with full awareness of our gifts and our limitations.” Similarly, the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines humility as “The personal quality of being free from arrogance and pride and having an accurate estimate of one’s worth.” The apostle Paul reminded his readers “not to think more highly of [themselves] than [they] ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment…” (Rm. 12:3).
The problem is pride. C. S. Lewis described pride as “the complete anti-God state of mind” (Mere Christianity). Pride sets us up for a fall (Prov. 16:18). From beginning to end, the Bible is filled with examples of those who arrogantly stood against the way of the Lord. Instead, we would be well-advised to humbly “receive the word implanted, which is able to save [our] souls” (Jas. 1:21). More strongly still are the words of Peter who said, “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you at the proper time…” (1 Pet. 5:6).
In a self-centered world obsessed with self-gratification, humility is the virtue that will protect and preserve our souls. Jonathan Edwards said, “Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.” In this pursuit, we are drawn to Christ who “emptied Himself” and took on “the form of a bond-servant” obeying His Father “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Ph. 2:7-8). This was His path to spiritual exaltation for upon Him was bestowed “the name which is above every name” and before Him “every knee will bow” and “every tongue will confess” that He “is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vss. 9-11). Even as His earthly life led slowly but surely to the cross, Jesus reminded His disciples that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 18:14). Carefully chart the course of your life keeping in mind these timeless principles.