The Daily Nugget- The Importance Of Humility

Hi All

Humility is described as having the quality of being humble and not thinking you are better than other people. It means being free from pride, arrogance, and entitlement, and having a modest view of your own importance. From a Christian point of view humility is a core value for a believer and is defined as being totally dependent on God and serving others rather than focusing on ourselves. It means having an honest view of who we are before God and a willingness to follow the example of Jesus who showed great humility when He came to earth and submitted Himself to earthly limitations and the Father’s will(Philippians 2:3-8). For followers of Jesus humility does not mean thinking less of ourselves,but rather it means to think of ourselves less.

Be Blessed And Encouraged

The Importance Of Humility

7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 14:7-11)

In our passage today Jesus uses the events at a wedding banquet to teach a spiritual lesson about humility.He warns guests not to grab the best seats. If a more important person arrives, they will face public embarrassment. Instead, they should take a low seat and let the host invite them to move up.

Jesus Himself was the greatest example of someone with a humble spirit in that although He was equal with God,He chose to become a human servant(Philippians 2:3-8)which He displayed when He washed His disciples feet during the last supper(John 13).The ultimate display of humility however was when He went to the cross to save us all.

We should never understate the importance of humility, as we are told in the Bible God “opposes the proud but gives favour to the humble”(James 4:6) and in Matthew 23:12 we read "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted”. Both these scriptures as well as others in the bible makes it clear to us that God sees humility as a vital characteristic of any believer,as it leads us closer to God and more receptive of His teachings.When we learn to be humble we no longer feel jealousy or envy.To quote a 19th Century bishop"The surest mark of true conversion is humility” Amen !