HUMILITY
Humility is the fragrance of heaven in a human soul. It is the first grace, and yet the hardest to learn, for pride is the sin that first defiled the universe. It turned angels into devils and separates man from his Maker. Pride cannot enter heaven, for it has no home there. The Lamb who sits upon the throne is meek and lowly in heart, and only those who learn His humility can walk in His presence. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). To bow before God is not weakness—it is strength. The humble man stands tall in the eyes of Heaven.
To be a Christian is to enthrone Christ and dethrone self. There can be only one sovereign in the heart. One will that rules, one love that compels, one voice that commands. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). We were not called to improve the old nature but to crucify it. The proud man wishes to share the throne with Christ; the humble man gladly yields it. Until self is crucified, Christ cannot be fully glorified within us.
If we would know the fullness of God, Christ must be King indeed—not a guest, but the Master of the house. His will must be our delight, His pleasure our reward. “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am” (John 13:13). When Christ washed the feet of His disciples, He was showing them that true greatness is found in service, not in recognition. He stooped that we might learn to bow. Those who serve in secret are often nearest His heart.
The mark of true devotion is not found in lofty words, but in a heart that bows low, whispering, “Lord, what would You have me do?” Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle when he asked that very question. Humility opens the ear to hear God’s voice and the will to do it. “To this one will I look,” says the Lord, “to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). The trembling heart is not afraid of God but tender toward Him.
God searches the earth with loving eyes, seeking those whose hearts are loyal to Him. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). He is not impressed by our strength or wisdom, but moved by our trust. The humble soul treats God as real—as a Person who feels, who loves, who longs for the fellowship of His children. Such a one cannot bear to grieve Him, but finds joy in pleasing Him.
To walk humbly with God is not complicated. It is the simplest thing in the world. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. It is living with an awareness of God’s greatness and our dependence upon Him. The humble man knows that every good gift comes from above, and that without Christ he can do nothing (John 15:5).
The proud heart shuts the door against His blessing, but the lowly heart opens the windows of heaven. “Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar” (Psalm 138:6). Pride builds walls between man and God, while humility builds bridges. Pride boasts of what it has done; humility rejoices in what God has done. Pride says, “Look at me.” Humility says, “Look at Him.”
So take yourself down from the throne and let Christ be seated there. Let His will be your meditation, His joy your pursuit, His glory your purpose. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The more Christ is exalted in your heart, the more peace and rest you will find. The proud soul strives and fails; the humble soul rests and trusts. The one resists God’s leading, the other is carried by it.
Make it your life’s one ambition to please Him. “We make it our aim to be well-pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). When Christ becomes your all, you will find yourself at peace. What once seemed loss will be gain, and what once seemed sacrifice will become worship. The soul that bows lowest before the Lord rises highest in His love. “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).
In the end, humility is not merely a virtue—it is the atmosphere of Heaven itself. Every saint crowned above was first humbled below. Those who bend low now will shine brightest then. To be humble is to walk with Jesus, for He is meek and lowly of heart. And when we learn from Him, we find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29). Let that rest be your portion. Let His meekness be your crown. For the eyes of the Lord still search the earth, longing to show Himself strong on behalf of the humble and the true.
Lord Jesus, meek and lowly in heart, teach me the beauty of humility. Take pride out of me and place Yourself upon the throne of my life. Let Your will be my delight and Your pleasure my purpose. When I am tempted to exalt myself, remind me that You stooped to wash the feet of men. Make my heart tender before You, my thoughts pure, my spirit yielded. I want to walk humbly with You, to please You in all things, and to find my rest in Your gentle love. Amen.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
