Why Should We Be Humble? 3 Benefits of Humility

No, he has told you what he wants, and this is all it is: to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 TLB

It can be hard to always understand why we should be humble.

So we are going to break down 3 major benefits of humility.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by everything we think God wants from us. We can think we have to be perfect, sinless, and constantly sacrificing. But as this scripture says, there’s not much God wants from us. All he wants is for us to be fair, just, merciful, and walk humbly with him. Not stride perfectly, not run ourselves into the ground. Walk humbly.

But what does that mean? Humility can be defined as having a “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” Another translation of the above scripture sums it up well:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

Micah 6:8 MSG

Do you take yourself too seriously? Do you feel like you have to know everything, be perfect at everything, be better than everyone? When we decide to be humble and take God seriously instead of ourselves, good things happen. Here are three things that happen when you choose to be humble.

You become a learner

For everyone who listens with an open heart will receive progressively more revelation until he has more than enough. But those who don’t listen with an open, teachable heart, even the understanding that they think they have will be taken from them.

Matthew 13:12 TPT

Are you teachable? When we are proud it is hard to allow people or God to teach us, because we feel like we should already know what to do.

We should already know how to change, how to love, how to be a better person, how to be a good friend. And if we don’t know, then we think we should be able to figure it out ourselves.

..But although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love. [2] If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing his ignorance. [3] But the person who truly loves God is the one who is open to God’s knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:1b-3 TLB

As this scripture says, trying to know all the answers won’t get us anywhere, because there will always be something we don’t know or can’t figure out. God wants to help us and give us the answers we need!

When we admit that we don’t know everything and are willing to be taught, we actually get more knowledge and wisdom than we would have on our own.

Reflection questions

• Is there an area of your life you feel stuck in? (family, relationships, dating, finances, career, etc.)
• Are you trying to figure it out on your own, or are you willing to be taught?

You become a better friend

Live happily together in a spirit of harmony, and be as mindful of another’s worth as you are your own. Don’t live with a lofty mind-set, thinking you are too important to serve others, but be willing to do menial tasks and identify with those who are humble minded. Don’t be smug or even think for a moment that you know it all.

Romans 12:16 TPT

Are you mindful of the worth of the people around you? This is what it means to be a friend. When we are constantly striving to be better than people, competing with them and either envying or criticizing them, we diminish their worth and we strip not only them of friendship, but ourselves as well.

If we want to live happily with others, we have to be willing to humble ourselves enough to not try to be better or more important than the people around us. This doesn’t mean we think less of ourselves, but rather that we think more of others.

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.

Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:1 MSG

We learn to put others first from our relationship with God. When we see that God is a friend to us, we can forget ourselves long enough to be a friend to others.

Reflection questions

• How has God been trying to be your friend? How have you been responding?
• Who needs you to lend them a helping hand?

You become comfortable with being yourself

So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [8] And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and let your hearts be filled with God alone to make them pure and true to him. [10] Then when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, he will lift you up, encourage and help you.

James 4:7-8,10 TLB

Oftentimes, we become proud to cover up our fear, insecurity, and feelings of worthlessness. We feel that if we are not good enough to be loved, understood, or cared for then we better take control and make ourselves feel better.

But the problem is, puffing ourselves up with pride doesn’t actually take away our insecurity. It just covers it up.

When we are humble and honest about what we feel about our weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities, God can encourage us, lift us up, and help us.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Psalm 51:16-17 MSG

When we put on a performance, we don’t get to see the love God is trying to give us. Being willing to shatter our pride means being completely and honestly ourselves with God, and that’s the moment we see that we are loved.

Once we see God loves us for who we are, we don’t have to perform or be proud with people anymore. We can be confident regardless of what people do or say, because God’s already on our side!

Reflection questions

• Are you honest with God about your insecurities?
• Pray about those insecurities today, and find Scriptures that show you God thinks you are good enough.