Fear-based false humility (Part 3)
Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26
It is possible for a truly humble person to appear arrogant and proud sometimes. As David spoke the key verse prior to battle with Goliath, the Israelites soldiers were distressed but David boldly stated, “Who should defy the armies of the living God?” His eldest brother, Eliab, accuses David of being prideful and insolent in his heart in the following verse. (1 Samuel 17:28)
It is well known that David is a man after God's heart, and obedience is a characteristic of humility. Although David was anointed by Samuel to become Israel's next king, he remained humble before God and King Saul, so even if he had the chance, he didn't kill Saul. In other words, David is humble, yet he is accused of being prideful and bold due to his bold faith in the Lord.
Being humble doesn't mean being soft-spoken, avoiding confrontation, or being spineless. False humility is always disguised as cowardice or timidity. When we have humility, we can walk in truth, recognize humans' fragility, so we must trust and rely on God. However, pride often comes with ignorance, so when Christians try to witness the faith to nonbelievers, we often hear statements like "Christians are proud, you think you are holier than thou?"
As a result of fear of men, false humility keeps silent, not sharing about Jesus for fear of offending others. As a matter of fact, true humility emboldens people to speak the truth because a humble person knows he or she is obeying God rather than obeying men, and they are not concerned for themselves or for how they appear in front of others. As true humility makes us think of ourselves "less" (frequently"), false humility makes us think less (inferior) of ourselves so we are weak and incapable of speaking out for the truth.
Humility is not simply talking softly, or having an outward gentle behavior. It is an inward quality, which is a willingness to obey, yield, and depend on God, and to see our value as God does. Regardless of whether we are considered arrogant by others, our living God sees our hearts and is gracious to the humble while opposing the proud.
Blessing prayer: Search me and know my heart. May you deliver me from all fear so I can humble myself before you. In Jesus’ name, Amen
