How to Be Humble (The Strength of a Lowly Heart)

Humility is one of the qualities God prizes most, yet it's notoriously hard to grow — the moment you think you've achieved it, you've lost it. So what is real humility, why does it matter, and how do we cultivate it? Here's a practical look.

What humility is (and isn't)

Humility isn't thinking poorly of yourself or pretending you have no worth. It's been well said that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. It's an honest, God-centred view of ourselves — neither inflated by pride nor crushed by false modesty — that frees us to focus on God and others rather than ourselves.

God honours the humble

The Bible repeatedly shows that God is drawn to humble hearts and opposed to proud ones. 'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.' The path to being lifted up, in God's kingdom, runs downward through humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the lowly. Humility is the soil in which grace grows.

Put others first

Practical humility shows itself in how we treat others. 'In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.' This means genuinely considering others' needs and interests, not just our own — serving, listening, and giving others the honour we'd like for ourselves. Humility is love in action, refusing to make everything about us.

Remember your dependence on God

Pride grows when we forget how much we depend on God; humility grows when we remember. Everything we have — our abilities, our breath, our very lives — is a gift from God. Regularly acknowledging that we've received it all, and can boast in nothing of our own, keeps us grounded. A grateful heart is a humble one.

Follow Jesus' example

The ultimate model of humility is Jesus himself, who, though he was God, humbled himself, took the form of a servant, and washed his disciples' feet. To grow in humility, we look to him — and let his self-giving love reshape our proud hearts. The more we gaze on his humility, the more our own pride is exposed and softened.

Humility isn't self-loathing but a freeing, God-centred honesty that thinks of self less and puts others first. God honours the humble, lifting up those who lower themselves. We cultivate it by esteeming others, remembering our dependence on God, and above all by looking to Jesus, who humbled himself for us. In God's upside-down kingdom, the way up is down — and a humble heart is a strong and grace-filled one.