Humility

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has given you. - Romans 12:3

I am uncertain whether there is a book entitled Humility and How I Obtained It – probably not, but there are certainly some who are qualified to write that. The fact is the individuals who I have been blessed to know who have the real thing don’t wear the title, never call attention to themselves or boast how humble they are.

For 40 years Moses thought he was somebody, and in the next 40 years, God deprogrammed him. He came to acknowledge that he really was a nobody. Then after age 80 – a period of life when most people start coasting – he learned what God can do with a man whose humility is derived from an understanding of who he or she is in the sight of the Almighty and who rests in the confidence that only as God works through us can anything of lasting significance really happen. It was during that season of his life that Moses was recognized not only as a humble man, but as the most humble man on the face of the earth.

The kind of humility that Moses had is not necessarily something you strive to attain but something you are. Deprived of his status and his power, having nothing save the shepherd’s staff he used for both protection and the care of the sheep, Moses had nothing of temporal value. Understanding, however, the greatness of God and the fact that what He does for us is what the Bible calls grace – the kindness of God touching our lives – he helped change history and kingdoms.

Forget about that book, Humility and How I Obtained It, and concentrate on serving others. It’s amazing how you will never even think of being humble and others will recognize that quality in you. That’s the way the real stuff works.

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Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to [email protected]. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.