How Humility Impacts Non-Christians

There is something different and attractive about Christians who view themselves as number two and others as number one. What strikes you about many people is not their humility - it’s their conceit. Will Rogers made the statement, “I always like to hear a man talk about himself, because then I never hear anything but good.”

In Philippians 2, Paul addresses the unity that needs to exist among believers. But he makes it clear that the basis for unity is not a method, it’s a mindset. He exhorts, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit.” Selfish ambition and conceit typify a person whose desire is to promote himself. People with selfish ambition and conceit lose friends instead of making friends. What’s the cure? After describing the problem, Paul gives the preventative. He says, “But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” In one word, the answer is humility. The kind of humility that considers others more important than yourself. In your mind, others are number one and you are number two.

How does that spirit of humility impact non-Christians? You must understand that some non-Christians already feel believers are conceited. Non-Christians sometimes say, “Christians act like they are related to God Himself.” Of course we do, because we are! Non-Christians sometimes say, “Christians have the audacity to think they are certain they are going to heaven.” Of course we do, because we are! But if accompanying that justifiable confidence we have a humility that focuses on them, not on ourselves, that presents a contrast to most others they meet. We are saying, “You matter to me.” There is something different and attractive about Christians who view themselves as number two and others as number one.

People who are contagious are not the ones who concentrate on building a statue to themselves, but on building a statue to others. Ask God to cause the importance of others to increase in your mind and your importance to decrease. Ask God to give you an opportunity today to tell somebody how important he or she is to you.