TRUE HUMILITY

If there was ever a subject that has been twisted and brutalized by
society, it is humility. True humility is so beautiful, so breathtaking, that it’s a
shame to find it missing from the lives of many Christians. I believe that
most Christians sincerely desire and pursue humility, but few ever truly
grasp it. Many people believe it’s nearly impossible to be truly humble. They
feel prideful and genuinely want to do something about it, yet end up feeling
more prideful than ever.

I feel impressed to address this issue today, not because I feel like I’m a
very good example of humility, but because God has given me an
understanding of this subject. I have been accused over the years of being
prideful, especially in the church I grew up in. Humility was highly valued but
seldom understood. This cultivated an expectation of self-debasement. Many
of us refused to accept a compliment, fearful that it would deny God the
glory He deserves. Actually, to be honest, the real reason I vocally renounced
compliments was because I wanted to appear humble to the people around.
This confusion led to such ridiculous responses as “Oh, it’s not me, it’s the
Lord.”

One thing that led me to respond so unnaturally was the belief that if I am
honored, God is not. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. When
God’s children are honored, so is He. It’s not difficult to understand. Think of
it this way: If someone compliments a painting I created, they’re really
complimenting me. If someone compliments and honors one of your
children, it reflects well on you, the parent. On the other hand, putting
yourself down and criticizing yourself is an insult to God. If you are a parent
and I were to approach one of your children and begin to demean them,
wouldn’t you take it personally? Yet when your child succeeds – scores well
on a test, gets a promotion at work – does it detract from your glory? Do you
remind your son or daughter that they would be nothing if it weren’t for you?
Of course not! You want them to be proud of their accomplishments! So why
do we attribute these warped characteristics to God? The Bible instructs us
to examine our works so that “(we) can then have the personal satisfaction
and joy of doing something commendable.” (Galatians 6:4, Amp)

Did you know that your heavenly Father deliberately glorified you? When
you were born again He placed you on the same level of honor as Jesus,
seating you on the throne in heaven (see Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 4:21).
And speaking of Believers, Jesus said, “I have given to them the glory and
honor which You have given Me”. (John 17:22, Amp)

And what about King David? God called him, “A man after My own heart.”
(Acts 13:22, Amp) Let’s examine some of the statements he made;
 “The King (David) shall joy in Your strength, O Lord … You set a crown
of pure gold
on his head … His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and
majesty You bestow
upon him.”

Are you able to say with this man after God’s heart, “My glory is great! I
have splendor and majesty bestowed upon me”? If not, that might be an
indication that you’re operating in a false sense of humility. Any time you’re
unable to receive and admit the glory God has given to you, you’re actually
demonstrating pride. Unwillingness to receive a gift you don’t think you
deserve only shows that you’re afraid of losing control of a situation.

When I used to shy away from compliments, it wasn’t because I was

humble. It was actually the opposite. I thought that if I receive the kind or
grateful words of an admirer, it would force me to have to live up to their
expectations. In other words, I saw their respect as something I had to
deserve rather than simply receive. Notice that David didn’t just
acknowledge his glory, he also recognized its source. In a sense he was
saying, “Yeah, my life rocks and I’m pretty cool, but I know that it’s because
of My God.” That is true humility. True humility doesn’t deny glory, it
ascribes it. It says, “thank you for recognizing that I have a great voice; now
let me introduce you to the One Who gave it to me.” The ministry of
encouragement is a blessing, and to deny someone the honor of encouraging
you is to do them a disservice.

The first time I gave a sermon, I was regaled with compliments and given
many pats on the back. Afterward, I went to be alone with God. Would you
know, I felt so guilty! I suspected God was upset with me because I had
received so many compliments that evening. But then He spoke to me. He
said, “Son, who do you think made you to be an effective speaker? Who
gifted you and gave you revelation to teach? It was Me! I made you to be like
Myself! You’re a good speaker because I’m a good speaker! You’re a good
writer because I’m a good writer! You’re a chip off the old block!”

These words were revolutionary to me. For the first time, I truly
experienced humility. I was great because my Father was great! And at the
core of this realization lies this truth: I am not longer distinct from my Father.
When I was born again, the earthly Winston died. Now I no longer live,
because Christ lives in me (see Galatians 2:20). Any glory that is given me is
actually going to Him. When someone compliments Winston, they’re actually
complimenting Jesus. My identity is not separate from His. The Bible says,
“The person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.” (I
Corinthians 6:17, Amp)

However, if you believe the deception that you are somehow separate
from God, pride will always be a struggle. Your only remedy will be false
humility. This stems from a mistaken identity. You don’t truly believe that
your self was crucified with Christ. Your self may be pretending that it
doesn’t exist, but in reality it is inflated and trying to hide. First and
2
foremost, you need a revelation that you are one with God. You are
inseparable from Him. This will revolutionize your way of thinking and you’ll
discover that pride just disappears altogether.

Pride is simply this: attempting to find a sense of value from within. It is

called ‘self-worth’. This is one of the key areas where modern psychology
has missed the truth. It teaches that a true sense of value must be found
inside one’s own heart rather than looking to external sources of validation.
However, a true sense of value can only be found through belonging. Finding
your value based on who you are is pride. But locating your value based on
whose you are is humility. This is a subtle but profound difference.

When a boy asks his father, “Why do you love me? Why am I special?”
The father will establish either a sense of pride or of humility based on his
response. When the wrong answer says “Son, I love you because you’re
smart, funny, talented and handsome” the message says “your value is
based on you - your ability and performance.” This, of course fosters pride.
The son will always try to supplement his lack of value-based-on-
relationship, with the value that comes through performance. Pride and its
evil twin, false humility, thrive in this environment. The correct answer – the
answer every son and daughter longs to hear is, “the reason I love you is
because you are mine. You belong to me.” This establishes the sense of
value as rooted in relationship rather than performance. True value can’t be
conjured, it must be bestowed.

It is the same way in our relationship to our heavenly Father. When our
sense of worth comes from our place in His family, pride can’t gain access.
We’ll have no trouble admitting that we’re His glorious children. I am gaining
more and more of this revelation every day. Now I can confidently say, “I am
proud to be a talented writer and musician! Of course I am – I take after my
Father!”

Humility is not self debasement. It is not self-hatred. It is not attempting

to de-value oneself. These things are all are centered around ‘self’. They
draw attention to ‘self’ (albeit negative attention), and do nothing to glorify
God or increase the Kingdom. True humility is self-forgetfulness. Living for
someone or something greater than self. Recognizing that ‘self’ was crucified
with Christ. You have no self to hate or debase because you are now entirely
one with the Lord! When you’re one with God, pride can’t even exist!
Humility is inherent to your new nature. Simply ask God for a revelation of
your oneness with Him. True humility will blossom from there.