True Humility

Biblical humility isn't found in placing myself in the right position before people. 

Biblical humility is in relation to God Himself, who made all people.  If I find the right place before God, I will naturally find the right place before people.  The conflict that arises in living like this is fear that people won't know I'm humble, kind, and good.  People don't need to know I am anything.  God knows if I am abiding in Him or not.  Wanting others to know my good intentions is a telltale I'm competing with God, not humbling myself before Him.

In God's kingdom, the greatest serve the most.  But, I need to see this from God's perspective:

Mark 10:35-45 NKJV — Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; “but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. “And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus wasn't talking about greatness relative to serving other people.  James and John wanted to be great relative to others, not truly great learning to serve God, or be humble before God.  This is what Jesus was trying to explain to them.

No one prepared a cup or a baptism for Jesus but God the Father.  Jesus didn't serve people, He served God. He only did what the Father showed Him to do.  Almost everyone misunderstood how good this was.  They wanted Him to do much more that looked good to them.  

People were served because God had other people's benefit in mind as Jesus obeyed the Father.  We can still see the wisdom and humility in the way Jesus didn't appear good to most people, but perfectly obeyed God!  We are supposed to follow.

Humility isn't considering myself lower than others, it is knowing I'm not God. It isn't my right or responsibility to make other people's lives good, correct them, teach them, admonish them, comfort them, serve their perceived needs...

I'm invited by Jesus, if I truly want to be led by Him, to humble myself under God's hand. God knows how to best lead the entire world. If I submit to Him, the most good will be done through me. But, if I refuse to stop managing how I appear to people, then I sow lawlessness, even while trying to be humble, and helpful, and kind.

Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV — “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

The human flesh naturally and always strives against the Spirit of God.  Humility is manifest when I stop striving to be God and instead yield to God in my right to make decisions to "be good." He lets me do what I want.  This is the most sobering truth about God... If I want to try to be Him, He lets me even though it will always fail.

The flesh just wants to be all God already is.  It convinces itself it is humble in its relationships with people even while elevating itself above God!

If I know this about myself, then I learn to abide in Jesus.  I assume He doesn't need me to do anything but learn to enjoy Him being with me. When I let the striving I naturally feel go,  dial down, and learn to listen to God, then God has a clean slate in my heart to write His directions on. If I assume He needs me, I've already written instructions where I should just be available.  

If I am truly learning humility, I seek first the kingdom of God and all I want to be naturally flows into and through me.  Every other way is for imposters.

John 10:7-15 NKJV — Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. “The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

Doing what Jesus says to be a shepherd to those around me is holy and humble. Trying to be Jesus to other people is neither!