You’d think the way to glory would be to seek glory—or at least to do something glorious. Not so, says scripture, which tells us instead that if we humble ourselves under God, he will lift us up at the right time. In other words, just as servanthood is the path to greatness, humility is the path to exaltation. The way up really is to go down.
Jesus demonstrated that remarkably both in his incarnation (Philippians 2:5-11 describes his trajectory from heaven to humility to glory), and more tangibly for his disciples when he washed their feet (John 13). He took off his robes, put on the garment of a servant, washed the dirtiest part of their body as a menial slave would do, got up and took off the servants’ garb, and reclothed himself in robes of honor. It was a visual demonstration of his course, as well as an example for us to follow. It’s how we receive honor in the kingdom.
Do you want glory? You’ll only find it when, in deep humility, you wait for God to lift you up. He loves putting his people in places of influence and honor—in his timing. Humility bows before him and trusts him to do that when both you and he are ready. Pride never obtains real honor; humility obtains that and much, much more.
