Excessive Humility

I am a Christian. Am I perfect? By no means. Do I claim to have all the answers? Not at all. Is it possible that I am misguided or mistaken in my understanding of certain doctrines? I would say that it's not only possible, but probable that I'm off on something and will be compelled at some point in the future to change a position...or positions. Yes, I am absolutely, positively fallible and in constant need of God's grace, His patience, and His forgiveneness.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" (Philippians 3:12-13).

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

"...and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures" (2 Pet. 3:15-16).

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:10).

We all ought to have this same humility. None of us has all the answers. None of us are perfect. None of us are always right in every case. On a spiritual level, we are all growing, learning, changing and adjusting (as needed) constantly...and that will always be true so long as we live on the earth.

Having said that, it is possible to be crippled by an excess of humility.

One might object to the notion of being TOO humble, so perhaps a more proper designation is James' reference to the "double-minded man" who is "like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind...unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6, 9). It is true that arrogance is an ugly and ungodly trait that all Christians must avoid, but we can allow the pendulum to swing too far the other way, to become so humble that our confidence is cast away and our faith falters.

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us...We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:13-14, 19).

 "...by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ...Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 3:4; 5:17).

Jesus didn't die so that we could be filled with uncertainty and doubt. He didn't give us a Bible that is so confusing that a seminary degree is required to understand it. Jesus didn't pray for unity in John 17, knowing full well that it was an absurd, unreasonable and impossible notion. God's objective all along has not been to impede our progress, but to enable us to comprehend His will and draw closer to Him.

And yet there are many Christians who act as if they cannot possibly reach a point of spiritual maturity - we're all perpetual sinners stuck in the mire of sin and depravity. But aren't we encouraged to pursue a deeper knowledge of God's word (Heb. 5:12), to "be perfect," or complete in Christ (2 Cor. 13:11)?

The "double-minded" Christian says that we cannot possibly know that we're right and someone else is wrong, and yet isn't that an attack on the very essence of evangelism? We have the truth and we are going to those who don't have the truth...to teach it to them (Mt. 28:19-20)? Yes, we are to do so with the utmost humility and patience (2 Tim. 2:24-25; 1 Pet. 3:15), but still, we are instructed to "preach the word" and to take a firm stand upon the one faith (2 Tim. 4:2; Eph. 4:1-5; Jude 3).

No, we are not THE Judge, but hasn't God given us the standard of judgment: the word (John 12:48)? So while it will be Jesus Christ who will sentence sinners to Hell, and while He certainly reserves the right to pardon the guilty if He so chooses, is it not our job to help others prepare for judgment by guiding them to the truth? But the "double-minded" man who is crippled by excessive humility cannot approach some sinners with the confidence that is required to persuade them to repent and embrace the New Testament pattern.

Again, all Christians must be humble. But don't become let yourself become cripped by "excessive humility." Not only will you be holding yourself back, but your "double-mindedness" may very well impede others in their pursuit of truth.

Think about it.