A Heart of Humility

Philippians 2:3–8

Humility is essential to the Christian life, yet it is often misunderstood and rarely pursued intentionally. I am talking about humility. We live in a culture that celebrates self-promotion, self-protection, and self-glorification; everything tells us to lift ourselves up. But the Kingdom of God says something radically different. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Humility is not optional; it is foundational to living a holy life and walking in perfect love.

Having humility begins with the right view of self. Look at what Philippians 2:3-4 reads: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less often and more rightly. We must recognize our dependence on God. We are not self-made people. We are not self-sustaining people. We are not self-saving people. Humility starts when you realize, “Everything I am is because of the grace of God.”

Humility is freedom from pride and comparison. Pride compares; humility serves. Pride says, “I deserve more,” “I am better than them,” or “I know more than everybody else.” Humility is the soil in which true holiness grows. Without it, we cannot live a holy life that is rooted in Christ Jesus.

Verses 5 through 8 give us the perfect example of humility in Christ Jesus. It reads, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Christ Jesus is not just our Savior, but also the pattern we need to follow.

Jesus emptied himself. Even though he is fully God, he did not cling to his rights. He laid aside glory. He took on flesh. He entered our broken world. This is a beautiful example of self-giving love that we should be following.

Jesus became a servant for us. He washed feet. He touched lepers. He welcomed outcasts. In this way, he showed us that humility is not passive but active love in motion.

Jesus was humble enough to die on a cross, one of the most humiliating deaths imaginable. He showed us humility when he said, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Humility is inseparable from living a holy life. You may ask yourself why this is. First, pride is the root of sin. In the Fall, humanity said, “We will be like God.” Sin began with pride, and that is why holiness must begin with humility.

Loving like God, who is perfect, requires humility. You cannot love fully if you are full of yourself. Love listens, yields, and sacrifices. When we humble ourselves, our hearts are sanctified, freed from inward sin, and filled with love for God and our neighbors.

Humility keeps one teachable. A humble believer is open to correction, sensitive to the Spirit, and willing to grow. Pride resists correction; humility welcomes it.

We do have to be careful now; there are dangers in false humility, meaning not all humility is godly. Putting yourself down is not humility. Saying stuff like “I am worthless” is not humility; it distorts God’s truth. You are created in God’s image, redeemed by Christ, and loved beyond measure. True humility says, “I am nothing without Christ, but with Him I am everything He says I am.”

Religious pride is one of the most dangerous parts of false humility. Pride in churches can sneak in very easily when people say things like “I am more spiritual than others,” “I serve more,” and “I know more scriptures than others.” When we say these things, we are wearing the religious mask of pride.

You may ask, “Pastor Ken, how can I battle pride and practice humility?” I will tell you that humility is not just a concept but a discipline. First, you must submit to God daily. The first part of James 4:7 reads, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” Start your day with surrender to God. You could pray and mean, “Lord, my life is yours” or “My plans are yours.”

Another thing you must do is intentionally serve others. Look for opportunities to help without seeking recognition. Practice encouragement without applause. Give without any expectation of return. Jesus said in Matthew 6:3, “…do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

We must guard against the mindset that we have to do everything ourselves. When we believe only we can accomplish the work, we may unintentionally underestimate others before they have the opportunity to serve faithfully. God could do everything on His own, yet He graciously invites us to participate in His work despite our imperfections. Likewise, we should be willing to trust and encourage others to serve. When we refuse to share the work, we not only place too much confidence in ourselves but also deny others the blessing of serving and often burden ourselves with unnecessary exhaustion. This kind of pride can lead to burnout in the church because God designed His people to serve together as one body.

You must also confess sins quickly. A humble heart does not justify sin. It confesses it. Solomon writes in Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Unconfessed sins hinder us.

Another way you can practice humility is by receiving corrections graciously. When you are corrected, do not immediately defend yourself. Instead, listen to the correction. Pray that the Lord helps you overcome what needs correction.

Finally, give God the glory. When something goes right, do not take the credit for yourself. Give the glory to Christ. He is the only one who deserves the credit. The only thing you are is a vessel.

There are promises for being humble. 1 Peter 5:6 reads, “Humble yourselves… that He may lift you up in due time.” God does not exalt the proud, but He exalts the humble. God draws near to the humble. Look at what James 4:6 says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Humility brings us spiritual power. The Holy Spirit fills the vessels that are empty of self and yielded to God. Humility leads to true greatness. In God’s kingdom, the last shall be first, and the servant becomes the greatest.

If we want the Spirit to move in our world, church, and family, we must become humble and get rid of pride. Honestly ask yourself: “Where has pride taken root in my life? Do I seek recognition or obedience? Am I willing to decrease so Christ can increase?” The answer to this is that the way up is down.

Christ Jesus shows us the way. He humbled Himself. He served. He surrendered. He did this because He was showing us the way. The way to God is humility.

I want to encourage you to lay down your pride. I want to encourage you to surrender your rights. I want to encourage you to ask God for a humble heart. You can do this by saying a prayer like this:

Lord, strip away every trace of pride in me.

Teach me to walk in humility.

Form my mind to be that of Christ.

Fill me with your perfect love.

And let me not bring glory to myself but to you and you alone. Amen.