ON BEING HUMBLE

The Bible lists humility as a virtue, and there are many verses about humility and being humble. A familiar one is, “humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.” (Galatians 5.23, GNT) A similar thought is found in Colossians 3.12: “So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Humility is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Having it is an indicator that the Holy Spirit is working in our life. Peter exhorts us to “put on the apron of humility” (1 Peter 5.5) and, with it in place, we can then serve one another.

The opposite of humility is pride, which C.S. Lewis considered as a great sin, perhaps the greatest one that a person can have. And “Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.” (Proverbs 16.18, GNT)

With humility comes wisdom. Our culture seems to imply that we should be proud of our accomplishments and boast about them. For example, I have a CV that lists all my “accomplishments” and I can boast about them. However, I know that without the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit, I could not have done anything in academics or missionary work that would exalt Jesus.

Humility within our American culture is hard to define or acclaim. It is not being weak or housebound. God wants us to serve him by serving others, the true mark of humility. Instead of boasting about our “accomplishments,” we use them to glorify God. We do this by serving others, and this happens in a variety of ways. Some people actively help by volunteering at their church, with local charities, or by doing something practical. like building houses for those with low incomes. Others teach, do manual labor, are specialists in trades, tend the sick, or help in a variety of ways.

Some, whom God has blessed financially, support their churches, missionaries and mission agencies, and institutions that genuinely help others who are in need.

When I give a gift, I try not to be proud about it. I am returning what God first gave to me. Although Joice and I received financial aid all our missionary careers, we also worked in various secular jobs before we were missionaries or on our furloughs. We did not believe that we owned our resources. They were loaned to us for service and God expected us to put it to use in helping others.

We were therefore humbled when we received support and prayers from many people over a long span of time. Joice kept careful records, and we have details on almost every dollar of support that we received. I say “almost” because I know that some people gave anonymously and without our direct knowledge.

That kind of help kept us “humble,” in the sense that we were receiving the gifts for our everyday needs, for our family, and for service to others. We were blessed to have people who knew us and believed that what we were doing furthered God’s kingdom. We did not have “secular” jobs, but we worked as if we did.

As an old man now (I am 92 in a week) I often repeat this prayer: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.” (Proverbs 3.5-6, GNT) I try to pray it often, and with humility in my heart.

I recently remarked to my daughter, “When you are old, you have a lot more time to pray” and she replied, “That is what mom used to say.”

If we are humble, we should not be proud of it!

Karl Franklin