(1Pt.5:5, Col.3:12)

 

It has been stated that humility is a state of the mind. This state of the mind is built or developed through a process of exercise. The higher one gets in life, the more the effort needed to bring about the change, and the more necessary it is to acquire the state of mind (cons. Prov.22:6).

 

Humility is achieved in the believer by (i) The working of the Holy Spirit (cons. Phil.2:13) (ii) The conscious effort of the saint (cons. Matt.11:29, 1Pt.5:5) (iii) The imput of others like godly parents, teachers, friends and neighbours (cons. Prov.13:20, 22:4). The Holy Spirit works out the quality through programming circumstances that will create the humble atmosphere in the heart. This can be in the form of ministrations or revelations (cons. Job 7:14, Dan.4:5,26-27); generating some humbling or even humiliating episodes from one’s mistakes or errors (cons. Dan.4:31-37, 2Sam.12:1-13, 16:5-12); or Leading an individual through a humility building path to expose the person’s frailty: like the attack of hardship, affliction, disappointment, misunderstanding etc to bear on the individual (cons. Deut.8:2, Job 42:1-6, Ps.119:67,71, Zech.13:9, Mal.3:3).

 

The believer on the other hand must play his own role by responding to every life circumstance according to scriptural stipulations (cons. Ps.119:101-106, 111-114, 128, Mic.6:8, Lk.14:10, 22:26, Rom.12:3, 11:20b, Phil.2:3-5, Jas.4:10, 1Pt.5:5). To enhance the effect of the work being done by the Holy Spirit, the individual must also genuinely evaluate his personal ability, which if conscientiously done would be classified as “very disappointing” (cons. Ps.8:3-4, Rom.7:24). And on comparing what one can accommodate with what Jesus did accommodate, one would definitely find himself seriously wanting! (cons. Phil.2:5-8, Matt.11:29). Listening to counsels, messages and testimonies that generate humility and praying-in the same, is one of the ways of getting clothed with the quality (1Pt.5:5, Col.3:12).

This state where the believer comes to the awareness that he is nothing, and God is all-in-all is Humility.                                  HSCF: 163