STRUGGLING WITH HUMILITY

                Country singer/songwriter Mac Davis wrote the song, It’s Hard to be Humble. The opening stanza sets the tone for the song.

  Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble
When you're perfect in every way
I can't wait to look in the mirror
'Cause I get better lookin' each day

To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble
But I'm doin' the best that I can

                Although I cannot identify with the tone of the song, I can identify with the struggle. Humility is a virtue that is much needed and hard to attain. We live in a world that gives lip service to humility, but rewards to opposite of humility. We tend to reward the arrogant, aggressive and hard-charging. We usually honor the humble only after they are gone. So in reality, it is hard to be humble.

                In Jesus’ day, humility was not looked upon in a positive light. Those who were powerful were seen as the virtuous ones. Only slaves and poor people were humble, because they had no choice. Jesus turned that way of thinking upside down. One day his disciples were arguing over who was the greatest among them. Jesus squelched the argument with some challenging words. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25-28

                As followers of Christ, we are called to live according to His standards and not those of the world. That means that we need to learn to be genuinely humble. Paul told the Ephesians that being humble is the way to live up to their calling in Christ. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephes. 4:1-2

                Genuine humility includes a couple of important features. First, it is having an honest understanding of who we are; both our strengths and our weaknesses. Humility is never putting ourselves down. It is being comfortable with our abilities, without the need to draw attention to them. A truly humble person rarely thinks about themselves, which highlights the other major characteristic of humility. Genuine humility focuses on the value of others. Because a humble person does not need to seek the spotlight, they are free to shine it on others. Paul highlights this in Philippians 2. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philip. 2:3-4

                We can be sure that, if we do not humble ourselves, God will do it for us. God takes a very dim view of arrogance and self-promotion. Our arrogance is one way that we try to take the place of God. He is not reluctant to let us know that we are venturing into dangerous territory. Peter, a man who knew first-hand what it is to struggle with overconfidence, warned us about taking the path of self-promotion. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6

                As the song says, it’s hard to be humble, but not for the reasons the song gives. It’s hard to be humble, because genuine humility is a by-product of service to others. The more that we value others, the more that we try to encourage and build-up others, the more we will move in the direction of humility. But be warned, when we start thinking that we have finally captured humility, at that moment it will slip through our fingers.