“People who choose the pathway of humility before God choose to bow down out of reverence, honor, and dependence. Others choose the path of humiliation instead. . . . So I shouldn’t be afraid of lowering myself in humility. But I should be aware of how pride can sneak in and cause us to fall into humiliation.”- Lysa TerKeurst
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”- James 4:10 (NIV)
In her Foreword to Joel Muddamalle’s latest book, The Hidden Peace: Finding Security, Strength, and Confidence Through Humility (2024), Lysa TerKeurst talks about one of her favorite stops in Bethlehem. The ancient Church of the Nativity. You enter the church through a small door called the Door of Humility. Because it’s much smaller than a standard door, you must bend your body as you pass through it.
Above all, as Lysa entered that sacred space for the first time, this thought struck her. God wants us on our faces before him, and there are two different pathways to get there. Yet, you never buy humility at a cheap price. But the price you pay is worth the cost. Most significantly, humility comes with a payout: peace.
Moving on to his Introduction, Joel notes your desire to get to a place in life where nothing hurts us. A place where we feel safe enough to have peace. However, as the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, experiencing peace means the need to acknowledge our fears and weaknesses. That we process out pain in a way that redeems and brings meaning to all the hardships we’ve endured. A process that brings internal peace. Then, that peace flows out into our external lives.
In conclusion, Joel counsels, it all begins with humility. He states:
“You may have heard the saying, ‘Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.’ This is true, but I don’t think it’s complete. As I’ve studied humility in the Bible, I’ve found there are three parts to it: rightly understanding God, ourselves, and others. And the order matters. It doesn’t start with focusing on ourselves; it starts with focusing on God.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses most help you on the pathway of humility? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “To display his attributes”