Fashion Advice
“… And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” – 1 Peter 5:5-6
In a culture that esteems pride over all, concerned with who is right instead of doing what is right, the concept of humility has been buried as a false pretense for success. Quickly judging humility without truly understanding what it is, the world has taught us that humility is nothing but pretending that we’re not worthy; in other words, humility is shamed as being the fake version of ourselves. “There is nothing exciting about humility” – This is the quote I got from Google as I was trying to search for the opinion this generation has on this word, one that considers humility as not being real.
The Bible offers a very different perspective as it encourages us to clothe ourselves in humility to relate to one another. Just like we pick a different outfit for every occasion, the Word states we should pick out the dress of humility when dealing with other people. It also says we should humble ourselves before God, as this is the way of honor.
What is humility then, that the Bible charges us to wear it? Humility is our absolute, utter and complete dependence on God, acknowledging our condition and need for Him.
Just like our clothes don’t magically show up on ourselves, but we have to intentionally put them on, we need to put effort and time into dressing ourselves with our finest: humility.
Counter to the idea this world tries to enforce on us of being self-sufficient, we need God, and we always do. We need God and his favor in our every day and He is a gracious Father, longing to satisfy our need for Him. According to Peter, He opposes the proud (and let’s just be honest, who wants to be against Him?), but He gives grace to the humble. Yes, humility is one of the ways in which we can grow in grace and get a hold of it. That is because humility never takes the eyes off the cross, it presses in the knowledge of Him. Humility then gets the attention and gaze of God, resulting in the highest form of greatness: honor.
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” - Matthew 20:28. The true test for humility comes when we serve one another, as serving is the best way to show how we relate to one another. I believe the very essence and foundation of humility are portrayed in the life of Jesus, our greatest example, as he served and maintained leadership while washing the feet of the disciples. Jesus shows us that we become the greatest not when the light shines on us, but when we give glory to God. What seemed to be the lowest moment for Jesus resulted in the greatest victory for mankind.
While pride destroys and brings disgrace, humility will protect and preserve us. The interesting thing is if we don’t humble ourselves, God will humble us and that will come with a terrible price to pay. The advice is simple: Dress yourself in humility. Your outfit is now complete.
“At the right time, He will lift you up in honor.”