What is humility? Humility is accepting the truth that God reveals. What is false humility? False humility is being so “humble” that you reject that free gift of God’s grace. A good picture of false humility is Peter telling Jesus not to wash his feet. You can imagine that this “seemed” “humble.” Wow Peter, you’re so humble, you refuse to let Jesus wash your feet but offered to wash his feet instead. Jesus responded: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8)

We must be humble enough to accept the glorious truth of good news. True humility leads to great happiness. Perhaps the desert fathers gave us a false picture of humility – painting a picture that humility is about having great depression, loneliness, and self-loathing. The real message of the good news should lead to joy. Jesus died for our joy. He told His disciples, right before dying on the cross, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) It is humble to have the joy of Jesus. Don’t think of humility backwards.

Now with that said, accept this following truth in humility: you are a gift from God to God. Do I need to elaborate and help your mind wrap around that a little bit? God is a Trinity, and you are a gift from the God the Father to God the Son. Jesus prayed, “Father… I am praying for them… for those you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9)

Did you catch that? You’ve been given. The Father has given you to the Son. Apparently, you are valuable enough to be a gift from God to God. And how does the Son receive His gift? With joy. “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2) The joy set before Him was receiving you as a gift from the Father. James 1:18 in the NLT reads, “He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

Don’t get all “humble” now and back off of this. Be humble and accept this as the truth about your life. You are a gift from God to God. Don’t be like Peter and act so humble that you can’t be happy. Let the Son of God wash his beautiful good news over your feet. He receives you with joy as a gift from his Father.