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What Is Spiritual Humility?
This article was written by Dr. Rebecca Letterman, the Director of the Intellectual and Spiritual Humility Institute.
What does it mean for me to be spiritually humble?
Simply put, spiritually humble people live in loving awareness of the God who loves us - and of all the people God created and loves.
As Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
It means you aim to continually listen, receive, and respond with generous openness to life from the deep conviction of God’s lovingkindness and goodwill.
Spiritual humility is reliant upon the God who is “other” than us. He is most often known in ways that include and yet transcend our physical senses alone. As a result, spiritual humility is distinct from intellectual humility, a field oriented toward our knowledge, beliefs, and mental limitations.
What happens when I’m spiritually humble?
If we are spiritually humble, we can better view all human beings (including ourselves) through the lens of God’s love, no matter what their behavior. How? Because we're all made in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26-27)
We know ourselves and others rightly when we viscerally experience our authentic belovedness by God. Knowing ourselves in this way means that there is no need to prove ourselves or judge anyone, including ourselves.
Humans spend a lot of effort trying to prove they are loveable, that they matter, and that they are worthy of value. Truly knowing ourselves as deeply loved by God eliminates that kind of unnecessary striving.
Instead of taking ourselves too seriously, we know ourselves in the context of all the rest of God’s creation as valued in (but not as the center of) his presence and activity in the world.
We are free to see God’s image - and to delight in it, affirm it, support it, bless it, and to learn from and serve it (especially in others) whenever and however we can.
Who is one example of a Biblical figure who demonstrated spiritual humility?
Jesus is our ultimate picture of biblical humility.
The Gospel accounts record that Jesus’ ministry was rooted in his relationship with God, especially in his belovedness as God’s Son.
At his baptism, the voice of the Father declares, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
When we read the stories of Jesus’ interactions with people, we witness true humility over and over again. He values people who are habitually ignored by others: children, the socially excluded, the sick, and even those suffering from demonic possession.
Why does Jesus do this with such ease? Because he is humble.
His confidence in God’s love for him - and for everyone else - empowers his capacity to see, love, serve, and bless others without the need to be self-referential.
What are some negative consequences of not being spiritually humble?
A lack of spiritual humility closes us off to the voice of God’s Spirit, from the full embrace of God’s love, and from our capacity to deeply rest in faith.
We waste a lot of energy and time self-proving, self-protecting, self-aggrandizing, and self-pitying ourselves. We judge and criticize others and compare ourselves to others.
We misuse the gifts God has given us and abuse ourselves, others, and creation. All of this is terribly destructive.
Why is spiritual humility important?
Biblically, spiritual humility is both a characteristic of God and is a means of opening us to receive God’s grace.
It is a foundation of a life that pleases Him. It is a primary way to imitate Christ.
The Scripture repeatedly teaches the truth that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6, I Peter 5:5, based on Proverbs 3:34).
Experientially, humility is freeing.
Humility so grounds us in the love and wonder of God that it frees our capacity to love God, others, ourselves, and God’s creation, fully.
It helps us fulfill “the Greatest Commandment” and living for the deepest purpose for which we were created: to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength” and “to love others as ourselves” (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 10:27).
We find ourselves freed to authentically love others, discovering that “we love others, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). In this sense, humility is experientially empowering.
Moving Forward
I hope this article has been encouraging, enlightening, and helpful. I’ll leave you with a sample of a prayer you can pray as you begin your practice.
Lord, lead me in the practice of humility. Teach me to fully receive your love, so that I am freed to love you and others full-heartedly. Amen.
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