“The more humble a man is in himself, and the more subject unto God; so much the more prudent shall he be in all his affairs, and enjoy greater peace and quiet of heart.” Thomas a Kempis

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah 6:8

Humility: The virtue that once you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it.

Humility, when connected to relationship with God, opens one up to a life of peace and quiet of heart. Humility, God’s way, is simply knowing who we are and being satisfied, giving space to others to be who they are without a need for competition or dominance. We set aside the need to be first and best.

I love the grouping given to us in Micah 6:8: do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God. When I walk in humility with God – in submission to Him – I follow His example and live out His priorities of acting justly and loving kindness (or mercy). Humility – true humility – leads to acts of justice and mercy for others.

But humility also leads us to a release of what we demand for ourselves. In humility, we become at peace with what God is doing in us, how He is providing for us. As we release our need to run after things that we don’t need, as we begin to allow others to live without a need to instruct them, we have time and place for peace. Our minds are no longer full of the fears and frustrations of striving; but instead we find the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guides our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

The elusiveness of humility might be the desire to instruct others in how to be humble – like we are. Humility is accepting what we, whose we are, and remaining open to God’s work within us. Humility is also accepting that God is at work in my neighbor and trusting that work.

Lord, I’m grateful for Your example of humility – You, who had every reason to be proud of who You are and what You were called to do, chose instead to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Your Father. May I follow Your example. May I be satisfied with who I am and the work You are doing in me.