Humble Heart
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
I hate admitting this, but sometimes when I’m in the trap of comparison, I find myself getting really prideful and thinking I’m better than other people. I would never parent that way, I think as I see a friend disciplining her kid. I can’t believe they just said that, I think as someone says something embarrassing. I would never… I can’t believe… and on and on my mind goes, putting down others in my head because I think I could do it better.
Yet as I continue to walk with Jesus, the Spirit is quick to convict me when I get into a prideful place. While it is easy to think we’re better (or worse) than others, the Bible tells us there is a better way to live. Colossians 3 calls us to clothe ourselves with “kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”. Jesus carried these dispositions himself, being so humble that He, the God of the Universe, came to live out a messy, hard human existence. And because He was able to do it, His Spirit empowers us to do the same.
If we struggle with pride, it’s often because we feel a need to put others down to make ourselves feel better. We can’t admit our own weakness, so we pretend we don’t have any and look poorly on those whose weakness is more clear. But our pride proves our brokenness and sinfulness.
To walk away from pride, we need to admit our weakness, yet we don’t have to stay there. Paul reminds the church of Colossae that they can be clothed in kindness and humility because they are already chosen, holy, and loved. The same is true for you and me! When we choose to accept Christ, we find ourselves chosen as well. Jesus’s death on the cross cleanses us from our unrighteousness and makes us holy. All this was done because we were already dearly loved; it’s just a matter of accepting that love and making it central to our identity.
When we come to know God’s heart for us, it’s easier to admit our weakness and live from a place of love and humility. We can have that gentleness and patience for others as we remember that Christ is gentle and patient with us. And responding with a spirit of love not only blesses those we once looked down on, but points them back to Christ.
There’s one song I constantly sing when I find myself in a prideful moment, and singing it out loud does something to soften my heart. Even when I’d rather try to puff myself up and tear the other person down, I sing Jess Ray’s song “Humble Heart” like a prayer and ask God to change me. Next time you find yourself struggling with pride, I pray this song and these lyrics would come to mind, and the words begin to soften your heart the way they do for mine:
“I want a humble heart, oh how I have so much to learn. Oh how I have so much to learn.
Because pride, it isn’t worth it. It makes me lonely, leaves me stranded. When I, I never wanted to be alone. And it’ll all be alright over bread and wine. Would you come and dine with me?
And let’s gather around the table, And share stories till the sun goes down. And secrets till the stars fill the skies. And we’ll laugh about tomorrow. And we’ll drown all our sorrows. In the joy of being side by side,”