Jesus’s Healthy Humility

Re-examining Biblical humility and what that means (and doesn’t mean) for Christians

The Bible praises humility, often called “lowliness of mind”. Christians are taught from an early age that humility is a virtue and that we should not be too proud of ourselves. While I do wholeheartedly believe that humility is an important part of being a Christian and a healthy human, I wonder how often the church has crossed the line of healthy humility with its congregations. After all, how often have we been told from the pulpit that we are worthless and deserve to go to hell? When I started listening to sermons critically, I slowly realized that teachings on humility contributed heavily to my self-esteem issues. I grew reluctant to acknowledge myself as any positive quality.

As I have researched the concept of Biblical humility, I came to the conclusion that this model of humility has three main tenents: a recognition of our human imperfection in relation to God’s perfection, the ability to value and learn from others no matter what society suggests about them, and an acceptance of our need for the grace of God and of those around us. While some have suggested that humility and loud or shocking demonstration are mutually exclusive, I strongly disagree with that position. Jesus Himself put on quite a show through the clearing of…