What does the Bible say about humility?

James again insists on humility; that man's will should be broken, and that he should be subject to God. For obedience, and having no will of one's own, is true humility; and to this the goodness and grace of God invites man. Confidence in God leads the soul to submit itself to Him. This is both a duty and a necessity, but it is done heartily where confidence exists. It is the truth of our relationship with God, and the soul is happy. We do not need to have a will for ourselves; if God who loves us has a will for us in all things, we ought to commit ourselves to Him. What grace that the omnipotent God should be always thinking of us in all the details of our lives!

If God says we shall be like His Son, we know we shall, for He has said it. This is the only true humility - giving up the thought of what we are for God as perfectly bad, and taking the thought of what God is for us as perfectly good. The prodigal may have thought he was humble, and may seem to some now to have been very humble when he was saying that he would ask his father to "make him as one of the hired servants." But this was before he met his Father, and was just the reasoning of his own heart, but a reasoning founded on weighing the sense of sin with some sense of God's (his Father's) goodness which did not yet know how to take all from love. It only shewed he did not know the Father's heart. So, when really in the Father's presence, there was no place for such a thought; nor did he then say so. It was not the prodigal's fitness that was in question - hell was his desert - but grace found the Father on his neck with the kiss of reconciliation. Did the prodigal question the Father's act? Did he say then, "make me a hired servant"? No, he could not then; he simply received the Father's goodness and lost sight of himself in His wondrous love, and, as has been remarked, we then hear only of the Father, not of the prodigal.

It is better to be thinking of what God is than of what we are. This looking at ourselves, at the bottom is really pride, a want of the thorough consciousness that we are good for nothing. Till we see this we never look quite away from self to God. … In looking to Christ, it is our privilege to forget ourselves. True humility does not so much consist in thinking badly of ourselves, as in not thinking of ourselves at all. I am too bad to be worth thinking about. What I want is, to forget myself and to look to God, who is indeed worth all my thoughts. Is there need of being humbled about ourselves? We may be quite sure that will do it.

It has been already remarked that it follows upon meekness, and meekness the Lord Himself connects with humility (Matt. 11:29). There is a difference in these moral graces, and yet it might almost be said that they are necessarily bound up together, that where one of them is found the others are sure to appear, at least in measure. Speaking not now of the Lord, for His will was as perfect as Himself, but of the Christian, it will not be disputed that true humility can only spring from brokenness of will; and that where the will has been practically set aside through discipline there also will be meekness, that patient unresistingness in the presence of evil which accepts every cup of sorrow and trial from the Lord’s hand, and displays gentleness of spirit and demeanour towards all. This is that contrite and humble spirit with which God loves to dwell (Isa. 57:15); or, as Peter says, that meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price (1 Pet. 3:4).

Above all things, let the "meekness and gentleness of Christ" be before you as your example. He was "meek and lowly in heart," and we are to learn of Him.

In all these lovely characteristics it is good for us to remember the example of the Lord Jesus. Tender mercies are beautifully seen in Him, if we consider His being "moved with compassion" (Mt.9:36), and kindness in His gentle dealings even with Judas right to the end, though well knowing the deceit and treachery that animated this deluded disciple (Mt.26:50). Humility is beautifully seen in Philippians 2:5-8 in Christ's coming down voluntarily to the dreadful death of the cross. Meekness (not standing up for His rights) is manifest in all His life, even when subjected to the cruel hatred and persecution of Jews and Gentiles as they were determined to crucify Him. He opened not His mouth (Isa.53:7). Long-suffering (patient putting up with constant affliction) characterized His entire life. Indeed, it is still true of Him now, having patiently suffered with the cold rejection of men all through this age of grace, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet.3:9).

Meekness is most seen in bearing with what we meet with that is in any way contrary to us. Gentleness has the field of its exercise in active dealing with others. Notice how extensively this spirit is directly inculcated in the New Testament. In the first place the Apostle Peter teaches us that the characteristic calling of a Christian, as to this world, is to do well and suffer for it, and take it patiently (see 1 Peter 2:20-23). And in suffering for righteousness, on which our Lord has pronounced His blessing, the same Apostle says, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). And when speaking of what kind of dress is becoming in the light of God for Christian women, he says, "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel: but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:3-4). Our Lord in giving the characteristics of those who would have part with Him in His kingdom, says, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

The Apostle James in presenting to us the spirit in which the Divine word should be received says, "Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). And again, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble" (James 4:5).

If we turn to the epistles of Paul, we find him in the Ephesians speaking thus in relation to the walk that is worthy of the Christian's calling: "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Eph. 4:1-2). In Colossians he says, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" (Col. 3:12-13). In Galatians he says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22-23). In the same epistle he teaches us in what spirit brotherly discipline, if it is to be effectual, must be administered. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou be tempted" (Gal. 6:1). In his epistle to Timothy he says, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Tim. 6:11). And in the second epistle, where especially he is concerned that Timothy should act rightly in the midst of opposition and evil and the corruption of the truth, he says, "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose them-selves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:23-25). In Titus, speaking of what is the duty of Christians in their carriage towards the authorities of the world, he says, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness" (Titus 3:1-2).

There is not a relationship of life, nor a condition in which we can be placed in which this spirit is not demanded of us. … How much is "this meekness and gentleness of Christ" displayed in me? And how much is it a matter of daily study, in the presence of my meek and gentle Lord and Master, in order to attain it?

Then he exhorts them to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord and He would lift them up. It is what Christ did (Phil. 2), and He has said, "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humility becomes man; it becomes his littleness before God, in the sense of the greatness of His grace, and of all that man is in himself. The great glory which the believer waits for is also the occasion of humility to him when he considers his unworthiness: he knows that he can understand and do nothing in divine things without God.

136 But James, having in his thoughts the pride and haughtiness of the spirit of the world, which is also in the Christian, desires not only humility, but the humbling of self. If one is humble, there is no need to humble oneself; but in reality the spirit of man rises up again so easily, that we do need to humble ourselves, and to realise the presence of God. In His presence we are always humble; we have the sense of our own littleness; we think of Him, not of ourselves. To exalt the proud would only be to encourage that pride which becomes neither sinful man nor pious man; moreover, piety and pride cannot exist together. But God delights in exalting the humble, and such an exaltation, coming as it does from God, is a source of gratitude and joy, not of pride. The heart is with God in the sense of His goodness.

But there can be but one competent judge of a humble mind, and that one is God. Other people may judge of your humble words, humble looks, and humble ways. God, however, views the heart. So that you must begin there in this, as in all matters. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord" (James 4:10). In your private devotion, allow the light of God's word to stream into your soul and show you your true place in His presence. This is the only cure for proud thoughts and self-satisfied feelings, and the only way to become lowly in mind.

It will be found that those who are humble before God will, as a matter of course, be humble before men. At any rate I would beseech you not to strive to appear humble to others. Be unconstrained. Do not pretend to be in manners what you are not in mind; for that is hypocrisy. True, Christlike humility, that thinks nothing of self, is perhaps the most beautiful of all virtues; but the spurious kind, that is secretly proud of itself, is detestable to both God and man.