Humility without Self-Hatred Is Not Easy

There are key moments in our lives when we realize just how awesome God is. Maybe it’s a sunset or an answered prayer or a time of reflection on our lives, but in that moment everything is clear and obvious: God is God and we are not.

Sometimes what comes along with that sense of awareness of God is an awareness of our own messiness.

David put it this way when he’s looking back and seeing God’s dramatic provision:

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? - 2 Samual 7:18

The prophet Isaiah puts it this way when he has an intense time of prayer and becomes aware of God’s presence:

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips,and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” - Isaiah 6:5

Have you noticed that there’s a fine line between humility and self-loathing? One is profoundly healthy; the other leads to all kinds of terrible stuff, from eating disorders to overfunctioning and burnout. Is there a way to have an accurate self-assessment that’s true and right without it being overly critical?

In the circumstances with both David and Isaiah, God presses on with blessing them. In David’s instance the blessing sort of ignores his self-assessment. In Isaiah’s situation, God clearly communicates forgiveness as a doorway into more blessing. There doesn’t seem to be a one-size-fits-all approach. And when Jesus shows up, it’s very clear that he doesn’t make blanket statements about how to move into emotional, physical, or spiritual health (for example, there are no two physical healings that are the same in all of the gospels!).

So what might help you form a healthy perspective on yourself? What would you need from God to get to a point of humility without any of the shame or self-destructive thinking that often come with looking inwardly?

Take some time and talk with Jesus about these things.