Written by Lawrence Tong

 

As individuals—and an organisation—we need humility.
 
These days, humility is often portrayed as weakness, and humble people are deemed to be of no consequence. Yet, the Bible is full of examples of true humility, the greatest being Jesus as portrayed in Philippians 2 and the gospels. Since “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6, NIV), we need regular spiritual audits.
 
True humility is power under control, best personified by Jesus on the cross. Though crowds mocked Him, He was surrounded by legions of angels poised for His command. One word would be sufficient, yet He prayed for His mockers’ forgiveness. When we’re tempted to retaliate, Jesus makes it possible for us to surrender all things to God.

Humility comes through a daily conscious decision. It challenges our cravings for pride and recognition as followers of Jesus. John said that Jesus must become greater and he [John] must become less. This is the perfect summation of humility (John 3:30). No one could accuse John of being weak, yet he was quick to point his own followers to Jesus.
 
C.S. Lewis said that humility does not mean that we think less of ourselves, but that we think of ourselves less. It’s the acceptance of who we are in Christ and the confidence that such a given status is all we could ever need or claim. Nor do we strive to find worth in our accomplishments, because our true worth is found in our relationships with God. 
 
Paul reminds us in Philippians 2 to not think more highly of ourselves than we should. That’s why we need friends courageous enough to correct us if we stray into pride or entitlement. 
 
How we respond in times of testing or personal attack reveals what lies within us. We need to recapture the virtue of humility so it’s essential to all our training, from the most senior leader to the newest recruit. Dying to oneself and forsaking all- marks of humility- were strong core messages in OM’s formative years, but I sense that they have been nudged aside in recent decades. We need to unashamedly rediscover our core virtues as a priority. 
 
Prideful people will brag of their own accomplishments, while humble people credit and praise colleagues and team efforts. We need to help each other tell our stories so that God is central. 
 
Having clean, open hands can empower us to trust God for what would be impossible with our pride. Today, let's practise the following: look for the best in others, graciously receive compliments, accept blessings, grant dignity to the giver, encourage others, learn to listen better. Ironically, humility is powerful.