What does the Bible say about how to humble yourself?

Response

John Bunyan, in the second part of his book The Pilgrim’s Progress, depicts the moment when Christiana and her companions must descend into the Valley of Humiliation. Bunyan portrays that location as “a steep hill, and the way was slippery.” In essence, it is never simple to humble oneself, and when our journey requires humility from us, we can easily falter.

Humility can be defined as the absence of pride, akin to how darkness is the absence of light. We cannot grow in humility by fixating on humility itself, as it can breed pride when we believe we have attained it. C.S. Lewis characterizes humility not as thinking less of ourselves, but as thinking of ourselves less. With this definition in mind, the Bible offers much insight into viewing ourselves in the right light. Embracing the biblical perspective humbles us.

Humility flourishes when we are open to being humbled by God, circumstances, and others. Our sinful inclinations resist being humbled. We often shield our pride as if it were our closest ally, yet pride obstructs our connection with God. He opposes the proud but extends grace to the humble «But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. », (James 4:6). He collaborates with us when we seek humility, but the journey to humility can be arduous. Despite the discomfort, we discover an additional measure of grace to uphold us as we endure the refining process.

The initial step in humbling ourselves is to scrutinize our motives for our actions. Whenever we realize that our deeds are aimed at garnering favorable opinions from others, we should present it to the Lord. We can pray something along these lines: “Lord, You see my intentions here. Is this for Your glory or mine? Search my heart. Am I seeking to honor You or myself?Some may ask, “Is it wrong to desire approval for myself?” It is not always inappropriate to seek to leave a positive impression, but if the majority of our decisions are made to please others, it may indicate a pride issue. We can acknowledge our improper motives and commit to doing only what brings glory to the Lord rather than ourselves. This may involve taking a break from social media, refraining from boasting about our recent achievements or trips, and redirecting any praise we receive to someone else who also deserves it.

Another way to humble ourselves is to assess how we react when we are snubbed, ignored, or undervalued. We need to recognize that the self-pity we feel is pride trying to defend itself. Instead of giving in to it, we can choose to view it as an opportunity to cultivate humility. We can pray something like this: “Father, I am feeling hurt and upset because I was excluded (or not appreciated, etc.). Thank You for allowing me to address areas of pride in my life that I may not have otherwise noticed. If I am overlooked, I find solace in knowing that Christ was also disregarded, rejected, and misunderstood.”

Developing greater humility involves identifying moments of pride and surrendering them to the Lord so they do not take root. By allowing Him to transform something harmful into something beneficial for our spiritual development, we can grow. Recognizing areas of pride is crucial in overcoming it, so we must be willing to acknowledge them when the Lord reveals them to us.

The Bible provides examples of proud individuals who humbled themselves when confronted with God’s judgment. King Hezekiah, despite struggling with pride, humbled himself and averted God’s anger from Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:25-26). Similarly, the wicked kings Ahab (1 Kings 21:27-29), Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:1-12), and MaNasseh (2 Chronicles 33:10-13) wisely chose to humble themselves and seek the Lord’s mercy. In each instance, mercy was granted.

The Bible praises the humble. Jesus, indeed, exemplified humility “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”, (Matthew 11:29). Moses was described as “more humble than any other person” “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”, (Numbers 12:3). Paul reminded the Corinthians that, despite being an apostle and their spiritual elder, he was humble when among them “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:”, (2 Corinthians 10:1). Jesus taught that those aspiring to greatness must be the most humble “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”, (Matthew 23:12). Numerous passages in Scripture instruct us to humble ourselves (Ephesians 4:2;1 Peter 3:8;1 Peter 5:6). If we fail to humble ourselves, God will do so, and that can be even more painful (Luke 1:52;Luke 18:14).

When we surrender to God’s will, there is no space for pride. He may lead us to undertake humbling tasks, but it will be for our benefit. We collaborate with Him in the process.By pursuing insignificant roles, working discreetly, assisting when no one else does, and reminding ourselves that our reward awaits in heaven “so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”, (Matthew 6:4). Those who focus on eternity find it simpler to embrace humility on earth.

As we cultivate humility, we realize that the humble abode is a place of splendor. To echo Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, once Christiana and her companions descend into the Valley of Humiliation, they discover it to be a serene, fertile land. The writer depicts it: “This Valley of Humiliation . . . is the best and most fruitful piece of land in all those regions. It is rich soil, and . . . consists largely of meadows. . . . See how verdant this Valley is, also how adorned with lilies Song: 2:1. I have also known many hardworking individuals who have acquired substantial wealth in this Valley of Humiliation . . . for it is indeed a very productive land, yielding abundantly.”