What is humility?

What is humility? Really, what does it look like. We're told that humility is something we should attain, that being humble is to be like Christ. But what is humility? Can a person attain it? Or is it given as one becomes closer to God? Or is it a mindset? Maybe it's a combination of all of these things.

I do feel that humility is something that can be learned. (King Nebuchadnezzar) I also know there are people who seem to be humble by nature. (Moses) Then there are people who do humble things. (King David, Lydia) And then there's Christ, who epitomizes humilty.

I also know a few things that humility is not. It is not false. A person with humilty does not act shy when given praise only to be the same person to seek out this praise. It is not masochistic. A humble person does not beat up themselves. Self-abasement is not always humility, it can essentially telling lies about yourself to yourself and to others so that in a strange way that person can feel better about you. Humility is also not an excuse to keep you in sin. (If I just stop putting myself first, I can love this person enough and therefore stay in this relationship that I know I should not be a part of. I can love them to God by laying my life down for them.) This can be of God, but must be carefully investigated and worked out. Humility is not blind devotion, but devoted servanthood with Christ as the guide.

I also realize that humilty should not be used an excuse to avoid doing the things God wants you to do. Our minds can be filled with all sorts of lies when we misunderstand what humility is. I will use my life as an example in my next post.