31 Days with Jesus
Humility is not thinking less of the life Jesus has given us. It is seeing ourselves correctly before Him. Jesus is Lord. I am His servant. Everything I have is received. Everything worthwhile I accomplish is done through His strength. Humility keeps me close enough to Jesus to listen, learn, repent, obey, serve, and change.
- Lord, Teach Me Who You Are — John 13:13. Humility begins when I see Jesus as Lord and myself as His servant.
- Lord, Teach Me Who I Am — John 15:5. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” I am completely dependent upon Jesus.
- Lord, Teach Me to Need You — Matthew 5:3. Spiritual poverty is knowing I have nothing sufficient apart from Christ.
- Lord, Teach Me to Bow — Philippians 2:10–11. One day every knee will bow. Humility chooses to bow today.
- Lord, Teach Me to Listen — Luke 10:39. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Humility listens before it speaks.
- Lord, Teach Me to Learn — Matthew 11:29. “Learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart.” Jesus Himself teaches humility.
- Lord, Teach Me to Obey — John 14:15. Humility does not merely agree with Jesus; it does what He says.
- Lord, Teach Me to Say, ‘Your Will’ — Luke 22:42. Humility gives Jesus the final word.
- Lord, Teach Me to Stop Defending Myself — 1 Peter 2:23. Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father instead of answering every accusation.
- Lord, Teach Me to Admit When I Am Wrong — 1 John 1:9. Humility confesses quickly and completely.
- Lord, Teach Me to Repent — Luke 18:13. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” Humility does not hide sin.
- Lord, Teach Me to Receive Correction — Proverbs 12:1. A teachable heart does not resent being corrected.
- Lord, Teach Me That I Do Not Know Everything — 1 Corinthians 8:2. Pride assumes. Humility continues learning.
- Lord, Teach Me to Ask for Help — Hebrews 4:16. Humility freely admits its need and comes to Jesus.
- Lord, Teach Me to Serve — Mark 10:45. Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve.” His followers do the same.
- Lord, Teach Me to Take the Lower Place — Luke 14:10. I do not have to be noticed, honored, or first.
- Lord, Teach Me to Wash Feet — John 13:14–15. No task is beneath the person who follows Jesus.
- Lord, Teach Me to Put Others First — Philippians 2:3–4. Humility takes another person’s needs seriously.
- Lord, Teach Me to Stop Comparing — John 21:21–22. Jesus said, “What is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
- Lord, Teach Me to Stop Seeking Recognition — Matthew 6:4. The Father sees what others never see.
- Lord, Teach Me to Be Grateful — 1 Corinthians 4:7. “What do you have that you didn’t receive?” Everything is grace received from God.
- Lord, Teach Me to Give You the Credit — Psalm 115:1. “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.”
- Lord, Teach Me to Handle Success — Deuteronomy 8:18. Whatever strength, ability, opportunity, or influence I have ultimately came from God.
- Lord, Teach Me to Handle Failure — 2 Corinthians 12:9. Failure can bring me back to dependence upon Christ.
- Lord, Teach Me to Forgive — Colossians 3:13. Humility remembers how much Jesus has forgiven me.
- Lord, Teach Me to Be Gentle — Ephesians 4:2. Humility does not require weakness; it produces controlled strength.
- Lord, Teach Me to Be Tender with People — Colossians 3:12. A humble heart remembers everyone needs mercy.
- Lord, Teach Me to Be Fierce with My Own Sin — Matthew 7:5. Jesus tells me to deal with the log in my own eye first.
- Lord, Teach Me to Depend on You Every Day — James 4:6. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
- Lord, Teach Me the Way of the Cross — Philippians 2:5–8. Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient even to death. Humility looks like Jesus.
- Lord, Keep Me at Your Feet — James 4:10. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” My safest place is not at the top. It is close to Jesus.
The more I think about this theme, the more important it becomes. Humility is not one Christian virtue among many. It is the posture that allows nearly every other Christian virtue to grow.