Webster’s dictionary defines humility as “the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people…the quality or state of being humble.”

In today’s society, especially here in NYC, humility is not a very common trait. Living a life of humility is hard when everything around us tells us that success is based on being first. Being the best. Proving that you are better than everyone else.

Let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving to be successful. However, if we are honest with ourselves, in our pursuit of success, it becomes very easy to try to glorify ourselves and our accomplishments, sometimes at the expense of others.

But in 1 Peter, we actually see a warning to that kind of behavior. It says that God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that I don’t want to live in opposition to God!

Evangelist and Pastor F. B. Meyer said “I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above another and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now, I find, that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath another and the lower we stoop, the more we get.”

As Christians, if we want to live in God’s grace and receive His blessing and gifts, we must remain humble. We must remain low so that God can be lifted high.

So that’s my challenge for us today. Choose humility. Don’t think of yourself as better than others. Keep yourself low. And when we begin to live a lifestyle of humility, we will begin to see the blessings and gifts that God has for us.

Jeremy Brock lives on The Upper West Side with his wife Kayla and serves as The Upper West Side Pastor here at The Journey. In his spare time, he is a diehard Oklahoma City T