One of the most notable characteristics of our Savior is His humility. Though worthy of the worship and service of all humanity, He yielded to His Father’s will and came to us as a humble servant. Philippians 2:6-8 expresses this truth with the following words:
He already existed in the form of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
By His example, Jesus shows us what humility is—an emptying of self that gives up all personal rights, a focus not on being served but on serving, and a complete yielding to the will of God even to the point of death.
From the moment of His birth to the moment of His death, Christ exemplified these characteristics.
His place and manner of birth were modest—a crowded city, a lower room, and an animal feed trough as a bed.
His ministry was modest—conducted primarily with the common people who welcomed the good news of the gospel because it offered them salvation from their sins, a never-ending relationship with Him, and the promise of a new heaven and earth with its restoration of all that God had originally intended for His people.
His death was the ultimate expression of humiliation. He was publicly exposed and punished for our sins and yet “He opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).
What does this mean for us as we seek to follow Christ in humility?
As His followers who are being transformed more and more into His image, we too must embrace a humility like His.
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
Knowing this truth and implementing it are two very different things. If you are like me, you want to obey God and that includes His instruction to “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God” (1 Peter 5:6) for we know that He “resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5b).
And yet, knowing what this requires in practical terms may be a mystery. Recently I looked up the specifics of this 1 Peter passage and found the answer. When God tells us to humble ourselves, He is simply asking us to submit to His power and will. What He is asking of us is exactly what He asked of His Son. Since are to follow the One who leads us (1 John 2:6), we need to ask what humility looks like for us.
What is humility?
An emptying of self which gives up all personal rights,
A focus not on being served but on serving,
A complete yielding to the will of God even to the point of death.
In our recent celebration of Christmas, we gave gifts in honor of Christ’s giving of Himself, but the best gift we can give back to Him is a humble heart, one that is like His—completely yielded to the power and will of God.
How can we check our hearts to see if we are following Jesus in humility? Here are three questions we can ask ourselves:
- Have I yielded myself completely to God or do I claim what I see as my rights before Him?
- Do I serve others, or do I expect them to serve me?
- Have I died to myself to such a degree that I am dead to my own desires and simply want to fulfill His?
