Humility can be defined as an act of lowering one’s self posture or position and viewing others in a higher posture with a clear intention of showing respect and appreciation to them (Duvall and Hays 46). From a religious perspective, humility can be defined as the total surrender and submission to the divine power.
In Christianity, humility is viewed as a virtue that should be observed by every believer not only to God but also to other people. In Philippians, Jesus nature and context of humility are explained. According to this scripture, Jesus is brought out as being so much humble that although He had power just like God the Father, He humbled himself before God throughout His life. Although His nature was like that of God, Jesus did not fight for equality.
Actually, instead of taking the nature of God His father, Jesus took a human nature and a servant. Jesus took away His might, honor, splendor, and majesty, and assumed the role of a servant in human flesh. He humbled himself before God and men to the point of death. Although Jesus had the power to stop death, His humility is so evident that he faced the shameful death on the cross in order to bring salvation to mankind.
According to Towns and Gutierrez (197), Jesus- at some point when He faced so many tribulations- requested God to take away the cup of suffering from Him. He would have done that, but He chose to call on God. He, however, realized that He was on a God-sent mission and repented telling God to let His will be done. This is a sign of true and deep humility demonstrated by Jesus to God that even in deep pain and agony He does not consider himself equal to God.
Jesus Christ’s humility has a great implication to Christians today. The depth of His humility teaches the Christians that they ought to follow his example.
Following the example of Jesus, Christians should know that it is their obligation to surrender and submit fully to the will of God (Duvall and Hays 38). It is a clear indication that humility should be part of a Christian’s life. It teaches all Christians that no matter the situations they pass through, in happiness, sickness, or trouble, they should always remember to be humble before the Lord. The example of Jesus’ humility to God should be followed by Christians in their daily relationships (Towns and Gutierrez 211).
There are many ways that this can be done. First, they should recognize that they own nothing and entirely depend on God. Christians should learn to appreciate and view others as being better than them with a lot of love. According to the bible, God created man, and He said that the man looked perfect in His eyes.
Christians should demonstrate this equality in their relations in the demonstration of Jesus’ humility. Just like the way Jesus denied Himself and died on the cross for the sins of men, Christians should denounce selfish ambitions like love for money, social status, recognition, and others. They should treat others with love, respect, and courtesy. They should appreciate and show love to the less fortunate, visit, and pray for the sick and also provide for the poor. Through this, they will be emulating the humility of Jesus.
Works Cited
Duvall, Scott, and Daniel Hays. Journey into God’s Word: Your Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2008. Print.
Towns, Elmer, and Ben Gutierrez. The Essence of the New Testament: A Survey Elmer L. Towns, Ben Gutierrez, Editors. Nashville: B & H Academic, 2012. Print.