Paul defines humility in these words: ‘Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves’ (Romans 12:3 NLT). The Bible says, ‘God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ (Genesis 2:7 NIV). God’s intention for us was to live in Paradise and enjoy His presence every day. But we disobeyed Him and decided to live by our own rules instead of His. And the result was that God said, ‘For dust you are, and to dust you will return’ (Genesis 3:19 NIV). It’s a very humbling thought – there’s little value in our earthly bodies, and no matter what we achieve, what we have, and what we own, they’ll finish up how they started. But humility doesn’t mean we have no value at all. We know that God values us, because He paid such a high price for our salvation. ‘Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 NCV). Humility also doesn’t mean that we just let people walk all over us, or that we need to be weak, without our own convictions and opinions. True humility means acknowledging God as the source of everything we have, and everything we need, and always remembering to give Him credit and thanks for both. ‘Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever!’ (Romans 11:36 CEV). Paul wrote: ‘May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14 NIV). Let’s try to keep that attitude too, and give God the glory for everything.

What Now?

What are the things you’re most proud of? Today, spend a few minutes thanking God for being the source of those things and for blessing you with them.