We MUST be Humble

We often speak of the humility of Christ, but it is not a popular attribute. I/we would rather assert our opinions and get our way if at all possible. Lack of humility among the household of faith is the primary source of conflict, dissension, and general dysfunction. If Pride is the seed of all other sins, then humility is the seed of all virtue. I find that being genuinely humble to be a difficult undertaking, yet it is the call of Christ upon my life.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2.5-8


God has a particular way of acting. There is a certain pattern to His behavior. When we look at the history of God’s actions from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of the New, what do we see? God diminishes Himself. Everywhere and at all times, God reduces Himself; He makes Himself small. He humbles Himself and does whatever is necessary so that we might be saved.
In the person of Christ, we can see that humility is a quality of God. God is not God if He is not humble. And neither can I be like God unless I am humble. Indeed, without humility, I’ll become a demon. Humility must therefore be a condition of my being. I must embrace humility, knowing that, when I live in humility, I live in God.
What is humility? It is the life of God, the form of divine life, and we see this clearly in the life of Christ, who descended from heaven to extreme lowliness. In everything that concerns Him we find lessons of humility. He was born in a cave, and placed not in a crib but in a trough. He grew up in the house of a poor carpenter. He was subject to His mother and Joseph. He was taught, and applied Himself to lessons He did not need to learn. He accepted baptism from the hands of John His servant. When He was slandered and arrested and threatened with death, He did not make use of His marvelous powers (Mt. 26:53). He subjected Himself to temporal authority. He was brought before the high priest as if he were a common criminal, and then led to the governor. He silently bore insults and false accusations, and in silence He submitted to His sentence, although with one word He could have refuted the false witnesses. He was spat upon by the lowest and vilest of men. He surrendered Himself to death on the cross, the most shameful form of death known to man.
From His birth to the end of His life, He displayed humility in all things.
Following the example of Christ, humility is the distinguishing characteristic of the Christian life, and the foundation for our relation with God. The more humble we are, the more God will reveal Himself to us. And the more we know about God, the more humble we become. We need all the virtues, but without humility they achieve nothing. Even fasting, prayer, and love itself can do nothing without humility. But when prayer and fasting are joined with humility, we become the companion of God, and enter the divine environment in such a way that we become “gods” ourselves. We must not seek to know God, or anything else from or about God. We must rather humble ourselves. God will then come to us and give us that which we desire.
~The Way of the Spirit: Reflections on Life in God by Elder Aimilianos, Abbott of Simonopetra Monastery