“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” — Philippians 2:3-4

The word humility may not be a word we use daily. Nonetheless, there is great importance in humility. The bible encourages us to humble ourselves and have a spirit of humility. We can also learn from Jesus’ example of humility to understand what it means to be truly humble.

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” — Luke 14:11, NIV

You may be wondering, what is humility and what does it mean to have a spirit of humility? When we are humble, we are not focusing on ourselves and our accomplishments. Rather, we set aside our pride and trade it for appreciation and gratitude.

In a biblical sense, we are able to have humility when it comes to trusting in God and putting our future in his hands. His ways and plans are higher and better than our own could ever be ( Isaiah 55:8-9). However, putting our own desires and pride away to humble ourselves can be difficult.

Here are a few practical examples of how to be a humble person in your daily life:

• Showing thanks to God and others
• Keeping an open mind to listening to others
• Appreciating the little blessings
• Accepting fault when we are wrong
• Giving credit to others when due
• Trusting in God’s plan when it might not make sense
• Showing love and patience to others
• Refraining from showing pride and arrogance

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” — Luke 2:6-7, NIV

Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. He came to earth as a humble baby. He spent his first moments in a manger for animals. Not only this, but he humbled himself enough to die in an ultimate sacrifice because of his love for us.

This beautiful display of humility can show us the spirit of humility we should have in our relationship with God and others. Jesus was born as a man and died because of his love for us, so we can show him our gratitude by giving him our hearts.

Are you interested in learning more about the bible and the Christian faith? Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology offers theology and ministry degree programs that can help you grow in your knowledge of the Word. To learn more about our admissions process or tuition, click on the Request Info button at the top of your screen.