Humility is a wonderful trait in the life of a saint. It is something that is rarer than gold nowadays. When we have the Spirit of God living in us, we will acknowledge humility in others. We feel accepted, loved and valued by people who are humble. When you tell them you notice their humility, you make them feel embarrassed or even ashamed. They cannot agree with you, saying, thank you for noticing my humility, because that would be boastful to them. If they deny it, they are in danger of lying, and that would be contrary to humility, too.
Truly humble people are not aware that they are humble. They get on with serving and can bear not being recognized and to be overlooked. They can operate in stealth invisibility taking on tasks nobody wants to do. They can even deal with hard and prideful people in a graceful way and do not easily take offence when insulted.
Humble people hate nothing more than pride in themselves. They come under strong conviction and are broken when God either directly or through other persons unveils their hidden sin or pride. They are the first ones to acknowledge their failures. Humble people find their own sin more serious than the sins of others. Humble people go through many trials, because God prunes the vine that bears fruit, so that it brings more fruit.
Humility is a fruit that is always shared to others, but not for own consumption. Humble people are cheerful, they always find a reason to give thanks, and they mean it!
Humble people have the simplicity of Christ. They always find a way to express Christ even in the most difficult or simple situations. They are practical and never overtly religious, nor worldly, neither in their appearance or speech or conduct.
Humble people are teachable, quick to listen and slow to speak, slow to anger. They can gracefully withdraw from strive and are free not a win an argument but win the person.
Humble people can freely share about their failures and weaknesses, yet without exaggeration. Humble people are not timid, they can be bold as lions when it come to defending truth and those who are wronged.
Humble people lift up the broken-hearted and the heavy-laden, without even noticing that they do.
Humble people can go unnoticed for a long time, but suddenly God shines through them in a way that preaches louder than hundred sermons. Here are 2 examples I encountered many years back.
I once walked up the stairs in our church building and saw that someone had stepped into dog pile. I complained about it to others standing by. This was overheard by a lady in our church who immediately took a bucket and a brush and removed it, calmly and cheerfully. Then I came under strong conviction. God showed my through her my hypocrisy for pointing out something without being willing to do something about it.
An old lady, a widow in our church used to serve in our church kitchen in a team. She rode her bicycle in all weather conditions. After cleaning up the kitchen, she collected all the tea towels and washed and ironed them. You may think that ironing tea towels is superfluous as they get used over and over again. Gertrud, so was her name, felt she wanted to give those tea towels a finishing touch so that those who used them were blessed to use them clean and neatly ironed. She was a servant to servants! She prayed often for us and others and wrote letters (do we still know what letters are?)
You find a few humble people in almost every church. Sometimes you find them in churches that we would see as backslidden, liberal, overtly formal, or in denominations with teachings and practises we do not agree with. Ever wondered why God does not lead them out and bring them to "better churches”? God does not easily give up on his church, he leaves some shining lights in dark and dim places. God relents to remove lampstands as long as there is still a chance for change. Thank God for spreading his humble servants everywhere, even in place we could not bear. They are beacons of light in a world that is getting darker and darker.
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: