The Power of Humility

May 16th, 2025

"We tend to measure ourselves against others, and we can always find someone who doesn’t measure up to us if we look through our self-distorted lenses filtered by puffed-up self-worth. But when we turn our focus to Jesus, we crumble in the light of His perfect standard." Join us today as Brian Miller reflects on a commonly read passage in Philippians to emphasize the true power of humility.

My wife and I attend Island Baptist Church on South Padre when we are at our place on that idyllic little slash of barrier island that runs down the southeast coast of Texas and faces the Gulf of America or Mexico or whatever it’s called nowadays. After early Sunday morning worship, we split up―she goes with the ladies, I with the men to smaller Sunday school/Bible study groups.

Usually, I am by far the youngest member of our men’s group―and I’m no spring chicken―and I have enjoyed engaging with the others in our group, which varies in size depending on how many “Winter Texans” are around. We have been making plodding progress through Paul’s epistle to the Philippians―plodding, mostly because of lively discussions that occur on a weekly basis. Just this past Sunday, we finished chapter 2, and it’s there that I thought I’d focus in this space this week: Paul’s call to emulate Christ, particularly His humility.

Defining Humility

First, let’s start with the definition of humility:

The state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness.

[American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition]

It was Augustine, when asked about the central principles of the Christian life, who replied: “First, humility; second, humility; third, humility.”

The Danger of Pride

Why is humility so important? Because pride is so dangerous.

It was what spectacularly felled Lucifer, Son of the Morning, in Isaiah 14. It is the first on the list of seven things God hates in Proverbs. Our ego, love of self, desire for others to think well of us, causes us to become our own little self-anointed sovereigns.

We tend to emulate Mac Davis (singer/songwriter) in his 1984 hit too often:

Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble,
When you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
’Cause I get better lookin’ each day

To know me is to love me
I must be a h[eck] of a man
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
But I’m doing the best that I can!

Or, if we’re not singing our own praises, pride can work in reverse in the form of guilt, shame, and regret, that also denies the sovereignty of God.

Looking to Jesus

We tend to measure ourselves against others, and we can always find someone who doesn’t measure up to us if we look through our self-distorted lenses filtered by puffed-up self-worth. But when we turn our focus to Jesus, we crumble in the light of His perfect standard.

If we’re honest, we instead embrace what Job said when confronted by God:

“I am nothing ―how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” [Job 40:4–5, NLT]

And,

“You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I―and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. … I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” [Job 42:3, 6, NLT]

Let’s now take a look at Philippians 2:5–8 and stand in awe at Christ’s example to us. This passage follows Paul’s exhortation to those believers to “complete my joy” by “the same mind … the same love” and to avoid “selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” and to look “to the interest of others.” How is this possible? The Amplified Version puts it this way:

⁵Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility],

⁶who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes―the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];

⁷but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man].

⁸After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Wow. The Eternal Son of God did that for our fallen race. It defies imagination. The Perfect One humbling Himself to that point of humiliation and bitter death – for me, for you.

Jesus’ example of servanthood in John 13:3–5 [ESV] parallels this passage. Knowing He would suffer and die the next day, yet:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet.

He knew the Father had put everything under His power―(but) He did not consider equality something to be grasped.

He got up and took off His outer clothing―He made Himself nothing.

He took a towel and began to wash their feet (even those of Judas, his betrayer)―He took the form of a servant and humbled Himself to death on a cross.

If this is Christ’s example, how then is it I ought to live? As Jesus did. As a servant. With a humble heart.

God's Call to Action

Let’s close with the next three exultant verses of Philippians 2. Verses 9–11 in the Amplified Version read:

⁹ For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus, whose name is above all names, to whom all will bow, whom all will acknowledge as Lord over all things, came down from His glory to be our example of true humility. He’s given His Spirit of grace to tabernacle within each one who has been born again. And that is how He enables us to have the mind of Christ and a servant’s heart.

John 3:30
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Author Bio:
Brian Miller is a longtime newspaper columnist and freelance writer. He and his wife Bethany, a fellow “preacher’s kid,” are currently residing on South Padre Island, TX. Brian seeks to use lessons learned in his life of God’s unchanging love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness to bring hope to others who may be struggling. You may write to him at bd1976@pm.me.