How Does the Bible Encourage Us to Pursue Humility?
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“Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).
Being humble is more than just a character trait - it’s a way of carrying yourself through life. This verse talks about what humility is, as well as the blessings of pursuing it.
Micah 6:8 tells us to “walk humbly with your Lord” (Micah 6:8). Other passages give us lessons, instructions and examples of what that looks like. We can also find cautionary tales about pride, the opposite of humility. God wants us to know for sure which attitude pleases and brings glory to Him.
What Is Humility?
Dictionary.com defines humility as a “modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.” The Merriam-Webster entry adds, “freedom from pride or arrogance.” This is what Jesus modeled for us in His life, ministry and death.
This attitude is not easy for most people. We naturally tend, and the world encourages us, to look out for ourselves first. But the Easton Bible Dictionary lists just a few of many benefits that pursuing humility will bring believers: “It is a state of mind well pleasing to God; It preserves the soul in tranquility; It makes us patient under trials.”
The Apostle Paul touched on this when he advised in his letter to the Romans, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…” (Romans 12:3).
Powerful Bible Verses about Humility
God’s message about humility is clear, and the book of Proverbs in particular is rich with advice on the subject. One thing the authors reveal is the most vital step in the process of becoming humble.
“Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:33).
“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Proverbs 8:13).
Another way they teach us is to compare the fate of people who walk with humility to those who chose not to.
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).
“Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud” (Proverbs 16:19).
“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).
The writers also remind us that God sees and rewards sincere humility.
“He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed” (Proverbs 3:34).
“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).
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Is Pride a Sin?
Simply put, pride becomes sinful when our focus turns more toward ourselves than God. It happens when we boast of our own accomplishments, possessions, abilities, etc., instead of giving praise to the Lord for His grace in our lives. In Scripture, many verses caution about the dangers of this habit, namely that God may remove His blessing.
“‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’” (James 4:6).
King David wrote descriptions of people led by pride in themselves, lamenting how that took them far from God’s presence.
“In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Psalm 10:4).
“For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter…” (Psalm 59:12).
In the New Testament, Jesus taught that self-directed pride is a behavior that indicates a heart turned away from God.
“He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person’” (Mark 7:20-23).
And other Scripture writers, like the Apostles Paul and John, were not afraid to point out examples of prideful behavior among the early churches.
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16).
Is It Ever Ok to Be Proud?
The Bible lays out the only kind of pride that is acceptable to the Lord. And the idea is repeated many times throughout its pages.
“In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever” (Psalm 44:8).
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:24).
“Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:31).
“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30).
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7 Humble People in the Bible Whom We Can Follow
Jesus - Came to Earth not as God, but as a human baby, and to live among men.
“...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!” (Philippians 2:7-8).
Job - Known as a devout man, he bowed low before the Lord even in the midst of agonizing personal circumstances.
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:20-22).
Daniel - Faithful to God during exile in Babylon, he became a prayer intercessor for the Israelite nation.
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: ‘Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws’” (Daniel 9:3-5).
John the Baptist - Given the mission to prepare people for the arrival of Jesus Christ, he gladly took a more lowly position.
“...’A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less’” (John 3:27-30).
Ruth - A young widow, she followed Naomi to an unfamiliar land to care for her and to worship the Lord.
“At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, ‘Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?’ Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge’” (Ruth 2:10-12).
Moses - Chosen to deliver his fellow Jews from bondage, he realized he couldn’t fulfill his assignment without God.
“(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) … He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord’” (Numbers 12:3, 7-8).
Paul - An Apostle who was always aware of his former life and how the mercy of Jesus rescued him.
“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
A Prayer to Be More Humble
Lord God,
Your Word shows us that becoming more humble is one of the ways we are to grow more like Jesus. Yet I often stumble, falling back into a self-centered human mindset.
Thank You for continuing to shape my heart, Father. Guide me to think of You and others more, and myself less. Help my words and actions reflect this change. And let me feel the contentment and joy that comes from being freed from pride.
I pray this in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Some people think showing humility is a sign of weakness. But actually, it reflects maturity - having a strong sense of self-acceptance and a love for others. Humbleness comes from acknowledging that God is sovereign in our lives, and letting Him transform our hearts to align with His.
John Newton wrote this after going through that process, as he experienced God's grace in a deeper way:
“I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master.”
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