Did You Ever Wonder What It's Like to be Humble?

Did You Ever Wonder What It’s Like to be Humble?

Posted on by Michele Morin

When he washed his disciples’ feet, when he slipped away from the crowds for solitary prayer, when he honored, taught, and conversed with women, Jesus was a puzzle to his people. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate yet one more occasion in which “his disciples did not understand these things at first” because who rides into town on a donkey’s colt when he could have commandeered a horse—or even a chariot? (John 12:16)

The Triumphal Entry is a study in paradox with its cheering crowds just five days before Jesus’s brutal execution. We marvel at the King of Kings’ humble stance, but humility was second nature to the One who “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7).

I’ve been working on memorizing Psalm 34, and maybe it’s because we’re in the days leading up to Palm Sunday that verse two stood out to me:

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.” (Psalm 34:1-2)

I asked myself, “What is it here that’s making the humble glad?”
And then:
“Why would the humble be glad to hear the psalmist’s soul boasting in the Lord?”

Human nature boasts in itself, in its accomplishments, appearance, or possessions.
Lacking humility, we barely listen to the words of our friends and family because we’re planning our own report.

But the humble?
The humble soul is glad to hear of One greater than herself.
The humble heart rejoices that Christ should have all the glory and honor and limelight.
The humble life gets behind the successes of others—almost as if she can’t tell the difference between her own and theirs.

On Palm Sunday, we marvel at the King of Kings’ humble stance, but humility was second nature to the One who “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.” The humble heart rejoices that Christ should have the limelight.

Coming to the end of the Lenten season and moving toward the triumph of Easter, let’s pause along the palm-strewn pathway to consider the humility of Christ. Humility is the foundational virtue, and for me, it seems to be the threshold through which all other virtues must travel. My pride blocks the door to gentleness, respect, love, self-sacrifice, and even truth-telling.

A lack of humility will keep me from recognizing my place in the greater scheme of things.
A pursuit of humility as a virtue will ensure that I remain always a learner, always open to rebuke when I’m in the wrong.

Learning humility, however, is NOT like riding a bike. It’s not a once-and-done proposition where I master it today and ride the wave of success for the remainder of my three-score-and-ten.

So, on this Palm Sunday 2025, let’s gaze at the humility of Christ, and then let’s give the humble plenty to be glad about!
Let’s glorify the Lord together and pay tribute to his greatness in the comments below!

I’ll get us started here…

Lord, you are the God who saves!
Today we shout, “Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” because we have experienced your saving power.

Thank you for the grace that flows from your humble sacrifice and for the forgiveness that meets us in our failures and rescues us even in our deserved distress.

I can’t wait to read YOUR Hosanna-Words!

Holding You in the Light,

P.S. Want to join me in memorizing Psalm 34? It’s a project underway with The Gospel Coalition’s Women’s Initiatives. Just sign up for their newsletter. That’s where I received the beautiful phone wallpaper above, and it’s on my phone to remind me to review the verse.

On this Palm Sunday 2025, let’s gaze at the humility of Christ, and then let’s glorify the Lord together and pay tribute to his greatness with our own “Hosannas!” in the comments below!

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

17 thoughts on “Did You Ever Wonder What It’s Like to be Humble?”

  4. I watch Him walk
    the way of the cross
    wounded, bleeding,
    not letting go
    of the wooden beam
    He carries for you
    and for me
    because we need saving,
    you and me,
    we’ve shown we cannot
    save ourselves,
    shown it over and over
    despite unimaginable pain
    inside and out
    He won’t let go
    of the wooden beam
    knowing He’ll die on it
    in even more pain
    than the right now walking
    of the way of the cross,
    dying for a people
    who struggle with humility,
    with unconditional love,
    who often don’t understand
    His kind of soul-deep
    faithfulness,
    soul-deep love,
    and though at any moment
    He can call on angels
    show themselves
    vindicating Him,
    releasing Him
    from the Way of the Cross
    He won’t let go
    because His love is bigger
    than our hearts can feel
    and our minds can think
    He won’t let go
    of the wooden beam
    because letting go
    would be our death,
    and I am humbled
    by the strength
    of His love,
    the strength
    of His Hope,
    the strength
    of His resolve
    to not let go
    of us.

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  5. “He must increase, I must decrease.” I wish it could be a once-learned lesson that stays with us forever. But perhaps needing to keep it in mind continually helps us be more dependent on Him.

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  6. We had Psalm 34:3 engraved in our wedding bands. I love that Psalm. Great thoughts on humility. If Jesus and Moses are described that way, we certainly need to follow their example.

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  7. Great reflection on what it means to be humble and why the humble can rejoice. I think it would do me good to think more often about whether I’m practicing true humility and becoming more like Jesus.

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  10. I think humility means that people’s hardship is a lot of luck (birth luck). So you should always help the poor, the needy etc. Watching what unfolds in what is meant to be a ‘christian’ nation, yet is some of the most unchristian and uncharitable behaviour is so saddening. #TalkaboutitTuesday

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    1. It helps me to remember that behind what‘a commonly referred to as “luck” lies the providence of a good God who has my best interest at heart—even when I can’t discern that from the immediate circumstances.
      And we do live in troubling times—no question about that…
      Thanks for reading!

      Like

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