Lessons of Humility and Perspective

4/27/2025

Proverbs 22:4 – “The reward for humility and the fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

For me the Bible is an insightful guide, a moral beacon, and vast source of information for us spiritually and as humans following the path of Christ. Within the Bible are many recommendations for the challenges we face in life.

I have begun a discussion on the most difficult challenges we face as human beings on our spiritual journey. Before the Holy Week, we discussed how difficult it is to release ideas that are false or are no longer needed, and accept the truth, such as impermanence.  Accepting the concept that everything of this world is temporary is difficult and is one of the major causes of anxiety and suffering.   

This week I want to discuss our ego, humility, and perspective. Our egos are powerful drivers. Learning humility means recognizing our limitations, flaws, and the vastness of what we do not know. At times, it is difficult to admit when we are wrong, to accept criticism gracefully, or to see ourselves as just one part of a much larger picture.

Humility involves a crucial perspective, that our viewpoint is just that – one viewpoint – and that others have valid, different experiences and perceptions. Overcoming egocentrism and developing genuine humility takes constant self-reflection and conscious effort. When we are humble, we begin to see ourselves, others, and the world through a clearer lens, God's lens. We are reminded of our limitations and His limitlessness, our dependency on Spirit and His redemptive power.

The Bible addresses the concepts of ego and humility extensively, offering guidance on how to overcome pride and embrace a life of humility. The first lesson the Bible teaches is that the ego can be dangerous and can lead to spiritual downfall.  Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This verse highlights that an inflated sense of self can result in failure and separation from God.  Paul tells us in Romans 12:3, “… I give each of you this warning: Do not think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” We are advised to see ourselves through sober judgement and recognize our dependence upon God.

The Bible then tells us the antidote for overcoming egotistic tendencies and a key virtue in our spiritual walk is humility. James 4:10 teaches, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” This verse emphasizes that true honor comes from submitting to God. Then in Micah 6:8 we are told what God expects from us: “To do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Humility is a foundational requirement for living a life pleasing to God.

Another powerful verse that points to the importance of humility is Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." This encourages us to prioritize others over our own interests. Clear, simple, and oh, so difficult.

Like Jesus, we are hybrid beings, part spiritual and part physical, part divine and part human. Despite this paradox, he exemplifies ultimate humility by serving others and expects us to follow his model.  In Philippians 2:6-7 we learn that Jesus “…made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,” demonstrating that humility involves self-sacrifice for the good of others.  

Last week I mentioned that on Maundy Thursday Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. After that he tells them this in John 13:15-17: “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”  Jesus teaches that true greatness lies in serving others, but the ego basks in being served.

It is through self-denial and submission to God that we overcome our egos.  Luke 9:23 explains it this way: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” This calls for a daily surrendering of personal desires in favor of obedience to Christ.

Galatians 5:24 tells us something important: Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Now this is a use of descriptive language. The metaphor of ‘crucifying the flesh’ teaches that followers of Christ have, in a spiritual sense, put to death their old human nature and its corrupt desires. It draws upon the imagery of Jesus' crucifixion to illustrate a decisive break from the control of worldly impulses. This means that Christians, through their faith and union with Christ, have chosen to reject and renounce their former way of life dominated by earthly passions and desires.

Importantly, "the flesh" here refers not to the physical body, but to the lowest characteristics of our human nature – pride, envy, anger, lust, and other corrupt inclinations. The verse does not mean Christians are instantly free from all temptation or dark impulses, but that they have made a fundamental commitment to reject them and now have the Spirit's help to live differently: humbly and without ego’s interference.

Although God grants grace upon all His children, the humbler we are the more of God’s grace we attract.  James 4:6: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humility opens the door for God's transformative grace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

This verse speaks of two ideas. First, that God’s grace, unmerited favor, empowerment, and presence, is fully adequate to sustain us in every circumstance. Second, God’s power reaches its fullest expression in human vulnerability. When we acknowledge our inadequacy, we create space for divine strength to manifest. When we humble ourselves and release the ego, we allow God’s strength and grace to fill us.

The way of humility is opposite the way of pride and ego.  The way of pride is believing that our standards of righteousness, our rationalizations, our way of putting things together is singularly correct and not in need of constant interference by the Holy Spirit. This path is of control, power, and clinging to the status quo.

The way of humility believes that God is always more righteous, just, beautiful, compassionate, loving, and gracious than we could ever imagine. It means that we are not as capable of figuring it out as we think we are. We are not as rational as we like to think we are. We are certainly not as righteous as we would like to think we are when judging our neighbor. The way of humility turns our hearts and minds to God: God’s will, God’s power, God’s control, and God’s love.

Christ’s path of humility is paved with vulnerability. His suffering on the Cross is the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate revelation of God’s glory. Like Christ, we are to embrace vulnerability and to sacrifice our self, our will, our understanding so that reconciliation and new life can occur. This attitude is uninterested in self-preservation, it does not care about looking strong or powerful but instead derives its power from serving humanity.

A final lesson from walking humbly with our God is that we must humble ourselves before God in prayer and surrender. As 1 Peter 5:6 encourages us, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." When we surrender our will, our plans, and our pride to God, He can work in and through us in powerful ways. He will exalt us, not in the way the world exalts, but in His perfect timing and according to His divine purpose.  

To conclude, humility acknowledges that all abilities and achievements come from God. It focuses our awareness on serving others selflessly rather than seeking recognition. Learning the lesson of humility and a Godly perspective is a lifelong journey. It is a daily surrender, a conscious choice to decrease our small self, our ego, so that Christ may increase in our lives.

I once heard that ego is an acronym for Edging God Out. It is my prayer that we will become aware of when our ego is shutting the door on God. I pray that as we embrace this challenging but life-giving lesson of humility, we will find ourselves drawing closer to God, living in greater harmony with others, and experiencing the true riches of love, joy, and peace that life in Christ can provide.