Embracing Humility: What does it mean to walk humbly with God?

As humans, we are often self-righteous and feel we are always right. It is even more so when we are bible believing Christians, saved and redeemed by grace who may often fall into this trap. It is no wonder why God tells us to always examine ourselves to be sure we are still in the faith.

I remember one day studying the book of Hosea, there was a reference to Micah 6:8 [AMP]: "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you. Except to be just, and to love [and to practice diligently] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness].

Now, while to do just and love mercy is pretty explanatory, the concept of walking humbly with the Lord was complex for me to grasp initially. Yes, we know that the opposite of humility is arrogance, and of course, that was also my thought regarding walking with God; I thought it was about taking away the arrogance and, as AMP above, setting aside any sense of overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness. For me, it entailed feeling a sense of disappointment when God does not answer my prayer or the feeling that because I have served God faithfully or lived a righteous life, I deserve my prayers to be answered. And this is arrogance in its sense because I focused on my actions rather than God's faithfulness and love. It was more like a transactional rather than God-centered approach to my relationship with God.

While I pondered and looked for resources to help me understand what walking humbly with God looks like, God used this analogy to bring it home. It is of a father and daughter going to a treasure island.

The Father had told his daughter he would take her to a secret treasure island. Now, because the daughter does not know the way, her father is leading the way. She walks with him trustingly and occasionally asks questions about fascinating things she encountered on the way. On the way, they encountered rough terrain and when her legs couldn’t carry her through, He picked her up, and on they went. Because she trusts her dad, she knows he will take her to their destination.

As they go, she initially thinks it is going to be a short journey, but as it gets longer, she asks, are we not there yet, because she is getting tired and wary, but he replies, patient, my daughter, we will get there in time; whenever He says that she gets more cranky because it is the same response she gets journey was getting longer, but because she trusts him, she continues on the walk. Sometimes, when they encounter danger, He fiercely protects her, and because he is excited about the secret place, he wants to show his daughter, but he does not relent. At some point, he even gives her a picture of what the place looks like to encourage and motivate her. They also stop along the way to rest and continue their journey.

Now, during this journey, the daughter does not try to lead the way because she knows she does not know the path to take. When they eventually get to the destination, there is joy on his daughter's face when she sees the beauty and treasures on the island.

And God was just telling me that, like the Father and daughter, you should walk with me in every season of my life, because only He knows the path He has set for me, because He is my creator and knew me before I was even formed. For God knows the path of life, Jeremiah 29:11 [KJV] For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God has the answers, and it is His pleasure to share them with us: God has an expected end for us that only He knows, and the beauty of it all is that we get to walk with him daily. We have the liberty of asking Him all our questions about life, and He is always willing to give us the answer. Jeremiah 33:3 [ISV] Call me, and I'll answer you and tell you about great and hidden things you don't know.

And just like the little girl on the journey with her father, so are we on a journey of life, and we as Christians have the privilege to go on the journey with God if we choose to. The key takeaway for me was:

Never Alone: When it says walk with God, it means we are and will never be alone. Psalms 16:11 [ESV] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures always. We may feel lonely at times and in different seasons of our lives, but we are never alone, because God who is omnipresent is always with us.

Trust: it all boils down to trust. Walking humbly with God reinforces our trust in Him. How can you walk with someone unquestioningly not knowing where you are going without questions or preparations made unless you trust them? Just like the story of Abraham when God asked Him to leave his Father's land for a land God would show Him. Now, Abraham did not know his destination, but He got up, took His family, and went off. He occasionally stopped at different places for rest where God speaks to Him, but He continued His journey until He reached his final destination. Sometimes, trusting doesn't come easy, especially when we feel we have been disappointed by God, and that is when we need to let go of our pride and arrogance and trust the journey God is taking us on.

As humans, we often tend to always want to be in control, and letting go might be hard, but today I am challenging you to let go and trust God to lead you on the journey He has called you to because He has got your back and will always stand by you.

Happy Easter.

See you in the next post.

Lots of Love,

Victoria