Humility - what is it?

Humility the Pathway to Greatness

This is the title of the May 2001 issue of “In Touch” magazine.  “Sometimes only though our trails, adversity, and pain, can we truly submit our will to God, which then allows us to turn our hearts to our true home.”

  Dr. Stanley writes, “Humility is not denial of self. It is an embracing of Christ’s life within you where you lay aside your personal wants and needs and adopt His desires and goals for your life.”

  Dr Stanley reminds us of verses in 1 Peter 5:5-7 and James 4:10. Then he goes on to write, “At first, James’s exhortation of humility must have seemed cruel. After all, they were suffering. However, James knew that if they focused on their situation, they would be consumed by it. He also realized that God had a plan for their lives. However, the only way they would discover it was by embracing their circumstances in light of God’s present will for them…

  How do we gain godly humility? The first step toward true humility involves truth-God’s truth. This means that we must commit to studying His Word and be willing to submit ourselves to Him. Only He knows the steps we must take to gain true humility…

What is our motivation for pursuing the spirit of humility?

• A greater intimacy with Christ.
• A greater degree of wisdom.
• A greater sense of blessing-personal and spiritual.
• A greater sense of doing God’s will, which leads to fulfillment and peace.

Why does God emphasize the idea of humility?

• There is no salvation apart from humility. The spirit of humility always precedes salvation.
• All the other graces such as compassion, kindness, gentleness, and forgiveness are affected by humility.
• Jesus cannot be Lord of your life if there is not a spirit of humility.
• A lack of humility indicates a lack of fellowship with God.
• Sincere prayer requires humility.
• A lack of humility hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Our relationships with one another suffer when we are not humble in our hearts.

Humility provides an opportunity

• for us to identify with Christ.
• to be exalted by Him at the proper time.
• for Him to embrace our lives with His eternal care.”

This information is from Dr. Stanley’s series, The Path to Greatness-Humility.    May 2001  In Touch pgs 6-9