In listening to Timothy Keller in a podcast of his sermons recently, he said, “Humility is the shyest of virtues. You can’t talk to it without it going away.”
His point is as piercing as it is true. The moment we become aware of our humility, we lose it. Scripture consistently presents humility not as self-deprecation but as God-centered self-forgetfulness. It is a way of living where our eyes are drawn upward toward God and outward toward others instead of inward toward ourselves.
“Humility not as self-deprecation but as God-centered self-forgetfulness“
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 ESV).
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus embodies this form of humility perfectly. He had every right to exalt Himself, yet He chose the posture of a servant (Mark 10:45). His life illustrates that humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less.
“Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less“
Humility forms in the stillness of often unnoticed decisions. It looks like:
Truly listening before speaking
Allowing the successes of others to be celebrated without comparison
Apologizing first, even when you feel you are mostly right
Praying, “Lord, show me where my pride hides,” and then being willing to see what He reveals.
The presence of humility softens relationships, disarms conflict and creates space for God’s grace to work.
We can’t chase humility as an achievement, or it will elude us. Yet when we turn our eyes toward Christ, who “but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7 ESV), humility begins to grow quietly and naturally, like fruit ripening on a branch.
We don’t need to grasp it, and we will never possess it perfectly in this life. We simply need to walk with the One who embodies it. And as we do, humility will shape us into people who reflect Jesus more beautifully.
Richard Bahr 