14 Reasons Humility Is Good for Building Up Your Faith
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The Lord Jesus Christ is our best example of who we are to be as His disciples. We are, after all, His church, and every member is named after Him as “Christian” (Acts 11:26). Our faith is rooted and built in Him, and the sooner we realize He is the Founder and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), the greater our humility and faith will grow in Him.
Below, then, are 14 reasons humility is good for building up our faith.
1. Humility Mimics God
We are commanded in Scripture to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). Knowing Jesus is God, He said to “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). The word lowly as used here means humble; Jesus is telling us to be gentle and humble. When we do, we will “find rest” for our souls. The results of humble submission to Scripture grow our faith because we know it’s the Lord working in us.
2. Humility Submits to God
Trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we submit to Him in reverent fear and obedience. In our humble submission we came to the Lord in repentance and faith and received salvation by what Christ has done. Our works are as filthy rags, therefore when we come to the Lord and wait for Him to act in His perfect will, He will renew us (Isaiah 40:31).
3. Humility Relies on God
2 Peter 1 is full of reasons for our humble state which leads to greater faith. Verse 1 states, “To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Can you imagine having a faith such as the Apostles Paul and Peter, to name just two? Their humble state caused them to rely fully on the Holy Spirit, and as they did, God worked mightily through them. If we are full of ourselves — prideful — there’s no room for the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
4. Humility Makes Space for God to Work
Every good deed we do and every good thought we have is not our own, for no good exists in us apart from Christ. Paul tells us in Galatians 1:23-24, “They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God because of me.’”
As we acknowledge and proclaim it’s not we who are acting of our own will but God’s, our faith grows in Him and the wondrous works He does.
5. Humility Seeks God
Zephaniah 2:3 tells us,
“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the LORD.”
The humble of heart (the lowly) seek the Lord and do His commands. Not only do we receive His grace, but we receive His mercy as He keeps us from His wrath. Our faith is in His promises, and grows as we experience His work in our lives.
6. Humility Unites God’s People
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6).
We are no longer prisoners to sin. In humility we answered God’s call to enter His kingdom. As we see the fruit of unity, our faith explodes as He unifies His church.
7. Humility Reminds Us of Jesus
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
Again, we look at Hebrews 12:2, this time as a reminder of what Jesus endured on the cross, and how He despised its shame in His humility. His humble state bought our redemption. Our faith is anchored in our righteous Savior.
8. Humility Glorifies God
We cannot fully serve the Lord without humility. When we serve Him, we exalt Him above self, knowing it is the Lord Christ who is glorified, and who will reward us for faithful service (Colossians 3:23-24). His faithfulness humbles us in its perfection, and He rewards our responsive faithfulness with always fulfilled promises of rewards, always for His glory.
9. Humility Reflects Christ to a Broken World
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
Our witness to the world reflects who we are in Christ. Those who have gone before leave a legacy of what being a holy and beloved Christian looks like (Hebrews 12:1). Humility is an integral part of how we are clothed in Christ, and as we display Him to others in word and deed, we please Him knowing we are keeping His Word. That nurtures our faith.
10. Humility Produces Holiness
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).
Once again we are told to clothe ourselves with humility. In this way, we are becoming more conformed to the image of Christ, and that’s a true faith-builder because as we do, our character becomes holier (Leviticus 11:44).
11. Humility Unites the Church
We are not all big toes or little toes, yet each part of the body of Christ works together to be the church Christ means it to be. Forgiveness means humility, therefore becoming more like Christ. When we follow His commands as a church body, we see His work in each member, which brings Him glory and strengthens our faith (Romans 12:4-8).
12. Humility Acts Out of Love
Ephesians 4:2, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” John 3:16 tells us God loved us so much He sent Jesus, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Love is a monumental motivation for us to humbly serve Christ by loving Him and serving others, even the unlovable ones.
13. Humility Is a Gift from God
James 4:6 states, “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” Knowing God gives us good gifts we don’t deserve (Luke 11:13) builds our faith in the only One who bestows His grace and mercy as He wills and for His good pleasure.
14. Humility Leads to Wisdom
God’s Word is true. When we ask for wisdom from the Lord with faith and humility, He gives it to us — every time! Our faith flourishes with God’s every promised bit of wisdom.
Humility is a virtue that releases us from the pitfalls of pride and wrong doing. Faith satisfies our souls with God’s light and truth. Humility paves the way for faith to arrive and fill us, and reveals our sinful state to us (Matthew 5:3). Faith brings to us the awareness and joyful acknowledgement of God.
The Bible tells us without faith it is impossible to please God, and God rewards those who humbly draw near to and believe in Him (Hebrews 11:6).
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