Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:5, Psalm 37:10-11, Deuteronomy 8:11-18, Zephaniah 3:11-13, Luke 18:9-14
When someone sins against you, humility can feel elusive. Your pain tells you to walk away and protect your peace. Your anger appeals for justice, urging you to disrupt theirs as much as they disrupted yours. Why would you look out for their interests when they fail to look out for yours? Why would you give up your moral high ground to bind up their wounds of guilt and shame with mercy and forgiveness while your own wounds remain exposed?
Christ. He is the only worthwhile reason to choose humility in the face of offense.
Jesus laid down His interests for ours. Though we had all fallen short of His glory and sinned against Him, Jesus didn’t enter the world with a gavel in hand. Instead, He willfully picked up a cross. He humbled Himself, taking on flesh and becoming like us in every way, yet without sin. Though He is Lord of all, He became a sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins. At the cross, He looked out for the interests of humanity, making it possible for all who believe in Him to be called children of God—co-heirs with Christ, partaking of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. Oh, what salvation Christ’s humility affords!
While Christ’s example and its benefits are enough to compel us to embody humility in our relationships, even with offenders, the biblical promise of humility is equally compelling. Jesus’s promise is this:
“Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Beloved, though your offender didn’t look out for your interests, God will. God Himself will “restore, establish, strengthen, and support you” despite what you’ve suffered (1Peter 5:10). For this reason, you are free to look out for the interests of others—even those who have wronged you. However, looking out for their interest doesn’t mean we seek their happiness. Instead, looking out for their interests means we seek their wholeness.
Practically, this can look like forgiving them instead of demanding repayment, echoing the forgiveness of heaven. It may mean choosing to not retaliate to disrupt their sense of shalom as much as or more than they’ve disrupted yours. Sometimes it may require establishing new boundaries not merely to protect your peace but to call the person to relate to you in a God-honoring way. And other times, ending the relationship when their sin persists or abuse is present may be needed, trusting distance to awaken their conscience.
As you reflect on today’s reading, how is the Spirit inviting you to exhibit Christ-centered humility? What about with those who’ve offended you? Though following His lead will be hard, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, drawing strength from Him and resting assured that the road of humility is more than worth it.
Written by Yana Jenay Conner
