Humility

The dictionary definition of humility, according to Merriam-Webster is simply “freedom from pride or arrogance: the quality or state of being humble.”

The word humility comes from the root word, “humilis,” Latin for “low or close to the ground.”  There’s a marked difference in worldly humility and godly humility, in my opinion.  Worldly humility carries a connotation of having a low view of one’s self.  I think that’s a short-sighted explanation of true humility.  In a religious context humility can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity (i.e. God).  Yes, godly humility definitely needs God as a reference point.  But I don’t believe that true biblical humility calls us to have a low view of ourselves…at least not in relation to our value to God.  Consider these verses for a moment…

• “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

• “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand and he will lift you up.” I Peter 5:6

God wouldn’t reward biblical humility with honor and life and grace if we weren’t of unthinkable value to him.  He wouldn’t “lift you up” if you weren’t valuable.  And he certainly wouldn’t have sent Jesus to die for us if we weren’t of great value to God. 

I also am struck by the connection to humility and the “fear” of the Lord.  It is the picture of a strong Father with his child.  He is more than capable of bringing the pain of discipline but that strength and power is tempered by his unmatchable love.  THAT’S a great picture of humility to me.

I’ve come to believe that true, godly humility is a proper understanding of my relationship to God and others, while accepting at the same time, my tremendous value to God.   God is my heavenly Father that loves me.  He is all powerful.  I am not.  He runs the universe.  I do not.  God values others just as much as he does me – I am not more important than others are in God’s eyes.  At the same time, my value to him is so priceless that I could only be purchased with the blood of God’s one and only Son. 

I may be physically “low to the ground,” but God lifts me up and my home is in heaven when I have true humility.  I am only “low” in comparison to God’s greatness. 

One more of my favorite verses about humility…a principle of life that is so important and significant that it appears THREE times in scripture – first in Proverbs 3:34, and then is twice repeated in the New Testament by both James and Peter.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to be in opposition to my Creator, the God of the Universe. Recovery from addiction is hard enough as it is without having God against us! 

So there you have it; the three things you need most to recover from addiction…

• ENOUGH MISERY.
• ENOUGH WILLINGNESS.
• AND ENOUGH HUMILITY.

Now let’s put that humility to good use and move forward to STEP ONE…