Humbling Ourselves
Shy acceptances of awards and quiet remarks to praise are what I used to think it meant to be humble. Since following Jesus, reading the Bible, and seeking external sources, I have found that humility is much more than that. To be humble is to be gracious. To be humble is to admit when you are wrong. To be humble is to be kind to those who do not like you. This topic has been on my mind for the last few days, growing from the idea that loving Jesus and loving God can sometimes add to your pride. If we aren’t in awe of how much our creator loves us, we might become complacent in our relationship with Him. I’ve seen this personally when I’ve had the ignorance of thinking that only my love matters. This led to less truth, less confession, and less fulfillment. There are many instances throughout the Bible where this is seen, too.
One, in particular, is in the Book of Judges. Joshua died after leading the Israelites into the promised land. Before Joshua passed, he renewed the covenant God made between Moses and the Israelites and inspired them by example, saying, “… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). It was essential for the Israelites to obey the Lord and not turn to other gods. Obeying this covenant seems simple enough but just in the first five chapters of Judges, Israel broke it three times. “The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1). The Lord was so angry when the Israelites worshipped other gods He turned His back on them each time.
The interesting thing about these chapters is that they span over 160 years- this is generations of Israelites breaking their covenant with God. The Israelites displayed overwhelming humility each time they betrayed their covenant. They had to stand before God in all of their sins and sincerely repent. God’s love for us is so wonderful that in every display of their repentance, He saves the Israelites repeatedly and even blesses them with years of rest, peace, and no war. Humility here is that they felt God’s anger, knew they needed Him, and admitted they were wrong to worship other gods.
Imagine if you were working at your job and prioritized a side gig during business hours over and over again. Not only would you be fired, but your repentance would likely be laughed at and ridiculed. God did not laugh at the Israelites but rather, gave them peace and rest. This is the truth about being humble: God listens to your remorse, God sees your heart, and God loves you even when you don’t deserve it.
