Matthew 23:11-12 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
BUT what is humility? It is one of those words that has different meanings in our culture from what it means in these verses. Being humble isn't looking down upon yourself - believing you are worthless, or that others are better than you, or that others deserve more than you. And it certainly isn't being or acting like you are shy. It isn't pretending that you are something you aren't.
We can look to Jesus' example and see that humility has to do with service. Jesus' humility was not holding back waiting for someone better or more qualified to come along, it wasn't groveling, it wasn't going along with other's ideas denying the things he knew to be truth, it wasn't denying his authority... but his humility came out of knowing who he was (one with the highest God given authority) and then willingly giving himself for others:
Matthew 20:26-28 26 ...Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
For us, humility is knowing who we are in Christ - dearly beloved brothers and sisters each with talents and skills given by and to be used for God. We are each valuable. Knowing this truth - believing it about ourselves - is the first step in humility! The second step is then using these skills not for ourselves, but for the well being of others.
Do we ignore Jesus' teaching that humility - knowing who we are and willingly giving ourselves for others - is what following Jesus requires of us?
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