A Man of Inward Humility

A godly man refuses to build his identity on success, status, or approval. Because his worth is secure in Christ, he is free to pursue faithfulness, receive correction, celebrate the success of others, and serve without recognition.

The Scoreboard That Defines a Man

In David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, four desperate real estate salesmen live under the tyranny of a sales board. First prize is a new car. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Everyone else is disposable.

The 1992 film adaptation sharpens this world through Blake, a ruthless representative from the downtown office. He enters a room of struggling salesmen not to encourage them but to humiliate them. His message is simple: Always be closing. Only one thing counts - getting the customer to sign on the dotted line. Then he turns a sales philosophy into a definition of manhood: Are you man enough to close?

Blake holds up his expensive watch as evidence of his worth. His success proves that he is somebody; their failure proves that they are nothing. Character does not matter. Family does not matter. Integrity does not matter. There is only one measurement of a man: Did you close the deal?

His speech is exaggerated, but its creed is familiar. The world tells us that our worth is what we accomplish and that other men are our competition. Thomas Watson wrote, "Man is naturally a proud piece of flesh; this sin runs in the blood." Pride turns nearly anything into a scoreboard: income, possessions, career, children, athletic ability, ministry influence, appearance, or invitations. We compare, rank, and quietly ask whether the people we respect consider us successful.

What is the sales board by which you measure yourself? Where are you most tempted to prove your worth?

Jesus Overturns the Rankings

The disciples brought their own scoreboard to Jesus: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus responded by calling a child into their midst and saying, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-4).

The disciples wanted a ranking. Jesus gave them a child. In their world, a child possessed little status, power, or influence. A child had no resume to display and no position to defend. By placing that child before them, Jesus overturned their definition of greatness.

Greatness in Christ's kingdom is not dominance, swagger, recognition, or visible success. It begins with humble dependence upon God. Augustine called humility "the mother of the graces." Scripture consistently honors the humble and warns those who exalt themselves because pride is not merely a social flaw. It is a refusal to live as a creature before the Creator.

Pride in Royal Clothing

King Nebuchadnezzar surveyed Babylon and boasted, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:30). He regarded his kingdom as a monument to himself and the city as a mirror reflecting his greatness. God humbled him. In Acts 12, King Herod made the same mistake: he received the people's praise and refused to give glory to God. His judgment was swift and severe.

Yet pride does not always stride into the room like Blake or boast from a palace balcony. Sometimes it wears humility's clothing. Absalom appeared gracious and approachable. He took people by the hand and kissed them, but his warmth was a strategy for gaining the throne. His outward humility concealed inward ambition.

We can do the same. We can serve because we want to be noticed, speak modestly because we want reassurance, and appear teachable until someone actually corrects us. We can praise another person's success while privately resenting the recognition he received. There is a great difference between humble behavior and a humble spirit. Pride is quite capable of dressing itself in humility's clothing.

The Freedom of Inward Humility

A humble soul is emptied of swelling thoughts about himself. Unlike Blake, who treats success as proof of superiority, a humble man does not need to advertise his talent, defend his importance, or remind others of his accomplishments.

Paul writes, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). This does not require us to pretend that everyone else is more capable. Humility is not dishonesty about our gifts. It is the refusal to use those gifts as evidence that we are more valuable than someone else. It looks for what can be learned from others and how they can be served.

A humble man does not boast in his obedience. He magnifies Christ rather than himself. He receives correction, accepts unnoticed tasks, visits the lonely, listens to the overlooked, and serves his family when no one is watching. Humility is not thinking that you are worthless. It is becoming free from the need to prove your worth.

Pride Must Be Put to Death

Watson wrote, "The godly strive to kill this weed by mortification." Pride must be identified, resisted, and put to death. We begin by admitting that we are prone to it.

Perhaps you crave recognition. Perhaps you overestimate your judgment or despise people who lack your discipline, experience, or skill. Perhaps silence feels too much like invisibility, so you trumpet your accomplishments. Pride can also appear as chronic dissatisfaction. It boasts when life goes well and grumbles when life does not follow our plans. In both cases, the self remains at the center.

These patterns reveal hearts that are not resting in the love of Christ. We inherited pride's seeds from our first parents, who grasped for what God had not given them. Yet through Christ and by the power of his Spirit, those sinful desires can be put to death.

Look to Christ

We learn the beauty of humility by looking first to Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:7 says that he "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." The eternal Son did not exploit his rights for his own advantage. He entered our frail human condition, took the form of a servant, and endured the shame of the cross. Then the Father highly exalted him.

Jesus shows us that the way up in God's kingdom is down. Greatness is not found in demanding that others recognize our importance. It is found in trusting the Father, stooping to serve, and obeying when faithfulness is costly.

The sight of God also gives us a truthful view of ourselves. When Isaiah saw the Lord seated upon his throne, he cried, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips ... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:5). Pride is a funhouse mirror: it enlarges our importance, minimizes our weakness, and distorts everyone standing beside us. Shame is another distorted mirror: it magnifies our failures until we imagine ourselves beyond grace.

The gospel tells the truth about both. We are more sinful and dependent than we want to admit, yet more loved and secure in Christ than our accomplishments could ever make us. We are creatures formed from dust, redeemed by mercy, and destined for glory - not because we made ourselves impressive, but because Christ has made us his own. When our identity is secure in him, we can stop chasing recognition. We become free to listen, learn, confess, celebrate others, and serve anyone.

Eight Practices of a Humble Man

1  Consider the cross regularly

The cross never flatters us. Our sin made it necessary, and God's love provided the sacrifice. Before it, there is no room for boasting except in Christ.

2  Begin each day by acknowledging your dependence

Ask God to fill you with his love, guide your decisions, restrain your pride, and protect you from yourself. Preach the truth to yourself: I am not self-sufficient. I need God's wisdom, mercy, and strength today.

3  Practice gratitude morning and evening

Michael Ramsey said, "Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow." Thank God for the energy to work, the skills to fulfill your responsibilities, the people who encourage you, and the grace that sustains you. Refuse to commit cosmic plagiarism by taking personal credit for gifts God supplied.

4  Study God's greatness grace and holiness

A large view of God gives us a properly sized view of ourselves. Confess sin regularly and invite other believers to exhort you. Honest confession keeps the heart tender to God's Word and grace.

5  Welcome humbling experiences

Do something at which you are not immediately competent. Play golf. Go skiing. Learn a new skill or a board game your children may win. A proud man must constantly guard his dignity. A humble man can laugh at himself because his ego is no longer a treasure he must protect.

6  Notice grace in others

Paul regularly identified evidence of grace in other believers. Practice naming what the Spirit is producing in the people around you, and tell them what you see. Another man's success does not diminish your worth. Celebrating him loosens envy's grip.

7  Welcome correction and ask good questions

Paul David Tripp compares self-perception to a carnival mirror. Other believers can hold the mirror of God's Word before us and help us see what we cannot see alone. Ask trusted brothers whether they find you easy to correct. Let them know your present temptations and persistent patterns of sin. Asking for counsel admits that someone else may possess wisdom you need.

8  Consider others before yourself

John Stott was the featured speaker at a conference when he noticed a nineteen-year-old standing alone. He approached the young man, asked about his life, and only later introduced himself. Stott's stature did not prevent him from noticing someone who could do nothing to advance his status.

Notice the person standing alone. Learn the names of the children and teenagers in your church. Take the lowest task. Serve your wife and children when no one applauds. A humble man does not enter a room asking, Who can make me more important? He asks, Whom has God placed here for me to love?

Christ Gives Us Brothers Not Rivals

In The King's Speech, King George VI's painful stammer forced him to trust a speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Lionel did more than teach techniques. He became a friend who challenged the king to confront his fear and persevere through humiliation.

We need trusted friends if we are to become humble and godly men. We need brothers who know us well enough to challenge our pride, remind us of grace, and help us remain faithful. Blake's world teaches men to regard one another as competitors. Christ gives us brothers.

The world says, "Always be closing." Jesus says, "Humble yourself." You do not have to prove that you are somebody. In Christ, you belong to God. You are free to stop chasing recognition, serve the people around you, and trust God with the results.