Feb
26
2009
Your Yearly Dose of Humility
I need this book. In fact, I believe every Christian needs to read C.J. Mahaney’s book on humility. And not just once, but several times. At least once a year.
Humility: True Greatness (Multnomah, 2006) is one of the most practical, pastorally helpful books I’ve ever read. For this reason, I find myself coming back to it every few months or so.
C.J. will tell you up front that Humility is not written by an expert on humility. He confesses that he is ”a proud man pursuing humility by the grace of God” (13). But it is precisely because C.J. acknowledges his weakness that he is able to write so effectively on the subject of humility.
Here is how C.J. defines humility: “honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness” (22). Bouncing back and forth between these “twin poles,” C.J. spends the first two sections laying out the perils of pride and the way in which Jesus redefined success and greatness. The final section of the book focuses on the daily cultivation of humility and the deliberate weakening of pride.
C.J. points out the subtle ways in which pride gains a foothold in our lives. He shows how pride leads to bitterness. He reminds us of the cost of our salvation, always pointing us back to the cross.
I have benefited most from C.J.’s advice to seek out “evidences of grace” in other people. We are tempted to criticize and find problems with everyone else. But C.J. calls us to look for the evidences of God’s grace in others. This practice curbs our prideful tendencies and increases humility.
Rarely do I read books that manage to be both deeply theological and immensely practical. Humility: True Greatness deserves a place on every pastor’s bookshelf. If you think you don’t need it, you are probably one who needs it most. So put it on your bookshelf, but never let it get too far from your desk.