Humble Pie Anyone?........

How can a person be humble?  What exactly is humility in a biblical sense?  Do you think you are humble?

I am currently leading a bible study about Ministering Through Spiritual Gifts by Charles Stanley.   The gifts are Prophecy, Ministering or Serving, Teaching, Exhorting, Giving, Leading and Mercy.  So far we have covered the first 4 out of 7.  This a very interesting study and it generates a lot of discussion.  We get so excited that we end up in more than 1 discussion at once.  This is my first time actually leading a bible study and as the leader, I have to learn how to restore order with gentleness.  I believe leading anything requires a good amount of patience, discipline and humility.  I think a good way to acquire humility would be to listen more, talk less and let others say what's on their mind.  This is no small feat for me because I always want to throw in my 2 cents.  Half of the group consists of talkers such as myself and the other half is more on the quiet, reserved side.

Humility is one of the best qualities a person can have.    For a person who believes that they are right most of the time and has to admit when they are wrong and apologize, that takes an act of humility.  In a conflict, when a person decides to apologize for the sake of someone's pride, even if they believe they are not in the wrong, that takes an act of humility.  How about showing love and respect to a person that you really don't care for?  That takes a genuine act of humility.  Wives who submit to their husbands or anyone submitting to authority are exercising humility.  It is not easy to be humble in certain situations but with God's help, it can be done with a glad and pure heart.

When you decrease your status or pride, it does not mean that you are allowing people to walk all over you like a door mat.  You are setting yourself up to be exalted by God.  You see, God gives grace to the humble and opposes the proud.  The opposite of humble is pride.  Pride is when a person exalts his own self or elevates his own worth by acting superior.  Sort of like putting yourself on a pedestal, you know, like patting yourself on the back most of the time.  God will humble those who exalt themselves and exalt those who humble themselves.  Luke 4:11 NKJV   That  means, if you are arrogant, God will humble you without your choosing.  It basically means you will be brought down from that pedestal.  But when you choose to be humble, God will exalt or elevate you.  To elevate is to move or raise to a higher position, like being promoted.  By lowering yourself or humbling yourself like a child, God will make you the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 18:4 NKJV

Even though Jesus was w/o sin, he never defended his self.  Instead he humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  He carried His cross and died for our sins.  He experienced pain and sorrow and men did not recognize His worth.  He was wounded for our transgressions.  Jesus, was definitely humble.  When I am prideful, angry or hurt I have to think about what Jesus did for me and push my emotions aside.  That takes, humility.  I'm so glad today when I do or say something that I shouldn't, God has given me the heart and spirit to turn it around by saying 2 words, "I apologize" without the 3rd word, but.  And that takes humility.