Locations & Times

1. Carl got in trouble because he thought he should always be in the front of the line. But then he learned about living cooperatively. What does that mean? (Living well with others.)
2. Mr. Principal told Carl the importance of being humble. What does being humble mean? (Thinking of others first.)
3. It can be hard to put others first but who can help us be humble? (Jesus) The Bible says anything is possible with Jesus and he will give us strength. Do you think you could be humble with Jesus’ help? (Discuss.)
4. Mr. Clean explained what Jesus does on the inside of our heart. What did he tell Carl Jesus would do? (Jesus will clean the inside of our heart so what we say and do will be clean too.)
5. What are ways that you can be humble in your own life? (Discuss.)

Read: Matthew 20:1-16; Luke 14:8; Philippians 2:3; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:18

We need a shift in perspective. As humans, our natural tendency is to focus inward, to our own needs and what we want. But when we follow Jesus, he changes us into the kind of person he is, which means that we become more humble people. But what does that actually mean? Biblical humility, as C.S. Lewis puts it, doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself. It isn’t low self-esteem. Instead, humility is thinking of yourself less.

In other words, humility is a totally different way of thinking. We don’t succumb to thinking better or worse of ourselves because we remember that the verdict of our identity is in. Because of Jesus, we are secure, and it is out of this place of freedom that we can begin to embrace biblical humility and focus outward. In place of thinking of ourselves, humility causes us to start thinking of others. Our everyday interactions become colored with our new priority on others because our thinking is not shaped solely by our own importance, but by the importance of every human being who bears the image of God.

The verses in Matthew are a story Jesus told to teach his followers that salvation is not earned. That’s a foundational piece of understanding biblical humility. There’s nothing that makes us worthy on our own to be with God. We’ve all messed up. We’re all separated from God and we can’t work hard and earn our way back to him. And the flip side of that is really good because it means that if nothing qualifies us, nothing disqualifies us either. It’s the best news that only Jesus can bridge the gap between us and God. And what he did for us on the cross was the ultimate picture of humility.

Shifting our point of view may seem challenging. But the best news is that the Holy Spirit is already at work in our hearts helping us choose humility. Growth in this area takes time, but we’re not on our own.

When have you seen an act of biblical humility, or when have you been the beneficiary of someone else’s act of humility?

How can you start thinking of yourself less in your everyday routine?