Becoming More Like Jesus: HumilityНамуна

Becoming Like Jesus: Humility

Developing humility is not just something we do. It isn't a one-time event we add to our calendar or a recurring task that we check off our to-do list. Instead, developing humility must become a way of life. But this cannot be done by direct effort alone.

So how exactly does an apprentice of Jesus become the kind of person who is known for humility?

The answer brings us to our fifth observation about humility.

Observation #5: Through grace, humility in the life of an apprentice of Jesus is cultivated through the practice of spiritual disciplines.

1 Peter 1:13 says, "Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed." (Emphasis added)

There are many disciplines from the life of Christ that we can practice. Through grace and more grace, God uses our acts of surrender to cultivate the virtue of humility in our lives. The fruit of humility is not something we can manufacture in our timetable. Instead, it grows according to God's timing and in His ways.

Together let's look closer at two of the many disciplines that God can use to develop humility in us through indirect means.

1. Solitude and silence: away from the cares of the world, the Holy Spirit leads us into a life of surrender to the will of the Father. In solitude and silence, the words of Jesus from John 6:38 begin to take deep root in our souls, "for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." Alone with Christ, seeds of humility are planted deep within our souls.

2. Service: as we step into the multitude of opportunities in front of us to serve the needs of others - family, friends, and those in our community - the seeds of humility that were planted in solitude and silence begin to grow and flourish, revealing a beautiful garden. Jesus Himself provides us with the perfect example of a life of service. "Because Christ had thus humbled Himself before God, and God was ever before Him, He found it possible to humble Himself before men too, and to be the servant of all." (Andrew Murray, see Philippians 2:5-8)

In Jesus, we see a perfect example of humility. From His entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, to His washing of His disciples' feet in the upper room, to His sacrifice for the sins of the world as He hung on the Cross.

Today, consider the following prayer, "Lord, I surrender my mind, body, and spirit to you. Help me to follow your perfect example of humility. May your grace lead me deeper into a life of discipline so that you might cultivate the virtue of humility in my life in your ways and timing."