So, God’s Word tells us: “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.”
Humility is the starting point, the beginning of the journey. Imagine a row of runners, crouched at the starting line, fully focused on the sound of the starter’s pistol. They know that any early movement will count as a false start, and they’ll be sent back to the line. How crucial it is to begin the race correctly!
In the same way, humility is accepting the starting condition — the requirement to enter this race, or in our case, this path. For most of us, these conditions were far from ideal. That’s why Jesus invites those whose lives are far from perfect to enter this path:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest...
— Matthew 11:28
In the very next verse, He says:
...Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
— Matthew 11:29
Jesus shows us the highest example of humility before the will of the Heavenly Father. He...
...humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
— Philippians 2:8
Obedience is a key element of humility. Think of a military parade: when the commander shouts, “Attention!” all eyes are fixed on him, awaiting the next order. No soldier can carry out the commander’s commands unless he first responds to “Attention!”
Likewise, once we’ve stepped onto the path of salvation — leading to eternal life — we must be sensitive to the voice of our Savior, who said:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
— John 10:27–28
A person with a humble heart doesn’t need to be called ten times — he responds immediately. A perfect example is Jesus’s shortest gospel call, when He simply said to Matthew: “Follow Me” (Matthew 9:9) — and Matthew got up and followed Him. That same humility enabled him to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice while writing one of the four Gospels.
Humility — what a rare quality today! And so unpopular... You almost never hear the word in daily conversation — let alone in the media. It's become a rejected word. So should we be surprised that today’s society is infected with cruelty, intolerance, lawlessness, and open immorality? People suffer and pay for this with their health and even their lives, whose value diminishes by the day. Yet they persist in pride and reject God — the One who longs to turn them from their evil way and lead them to true riches, honor, and life — all of which are unreachable without humility before the Creator.
Humility is a precious treasure, and acquiring it is the first right step on the path of life.
Let’s take a closer look at why humility is both necessary and vital to us.