Bible Verses About

Posts Tagged ‘Christlike’

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

Now this is definitely one of the toughest Bible verses about humility to read.  I don’t think anyone enjoys reading this verse.  I can’t think of any command that’s more difficult to accomplish than this one.  Isn’t it so contrary to human nature, so contrary to everything our thoughts and emotions tell us?  From childhood we grow up striving to fulfill our own desires, searching for happiness and pleasure, and not much thinking about anyone else in our lives.  But God commands the opposite.  He tells us that other people should actually be more important to us than achieving our own happiness and desires.  That’s just plain tough.

But that’s the mandate that Jesus gives us.  And He has the right to demand that from us.  After all, He himself gave up everything and came down to Earth to give up His own life in order that we might come to have a relationship with Him and God the father.  So when He says that we ought to consider others as better than ourselves, what He’s really commanding is that we become more like Him, because that’s exactly what He did.  So when you take a look at it from that perspective, it becomes clear that if any of us desires to be more like Christ, we need to have the kind of humility that Jesus had.  And that kind of humility isn’t something that comes easily.  It’s probably the hardest thing we’ll ever work for.  But the good news is that we don’t have to do it alone.  If anyone truly desires to have the kind of humility that Jesus had and wants to consider others as better than themselves, then God is eager to give that person a helping hand.  God loves to give us humility and won’t hesitate to lend a hand.

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3

I used to reflect on this Bible verse a lot, wondering in what ways I thought arrogantly about myself.  I’m sure that we all do.  Most of us don’t have the humility to think of ourselves in sober judgement.  It’s so easy to see other people’s faults; so difficult to notice our own.  But anyone who calls themselves a Christian really needs to take an honest look at their lives and find ways to build humility into their character.  That’s interesting that Paul says, according to the measure of faith that God has given you.  Faith then, becomes a criteria for humility.  If God has given you a lot of faith and the desire to follow Him and forsake your own selfish desires, be grateful and humble, for you are blessed.  If God has only given you a small measure of faith, and it’s so difficult for you to follow Him, be humble and ask for more and for the desire to change.

Sadly however, so often we don’t think of ourselves with sober judgment.  Because of the fact that God has gifted many of us in many different ways, it’s so easy to see the talents and gifts that God has given us and to look down on those who seem to be doing less.  But that’s why I love parables like the one Jesus told about the talents.  He said that some servants were given 5 talents, others 3, and still others 1 talent.  Those who were given 5 talents were expected to produce more than those who were given 3 and 1 talent.  That always convicts me, because whenever I’m tempted to think that someone else is doing less than I am, I can’t escape the thought that maybe that person was given less than I’ve been given.  When I think about it like that, it helps me to have a correct opinion about myself.  I know that I’ve been given a lot.  And to him who has been given much, much will be required.  So do not think about yourselves more highly than you ought.