A Humble Perspective
- Brooke Singleton
- Sep 7
- 5 min read
“Biblical humility is simply having a right estimate of ourselves, compared to a right view of God.”
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6
Awe man, moms, my heart needed this graceful reminder from 1 Peter this week. As we pull it apart together, I have to tell you upfront that I have been hung up on, tripped over, wallowed in, and guilty of every point we’re going to touch on today. So, when I tell you not to worry because you’re not alone… I mean it. I’ve been there, still get there, but Jesus wants abundant life for us in those spaces. Ask Him, right now, to speak.
1 Peter tells us to humble ourselves, so God can lift us up, but I think humility can be tricky to understand without a clear definition. Sometimes we tear ourselves down and think we’re humble, even though it’s pride masquerading. Sometimes our prideful pursuits look like serving others. So, here’s a biblical definition for us to work with. Biblical humility is simply having a right estimate of ourselves, compared to a right view of God. It’s recognizing that all our gifts and abilities are from and for God's glory. It involves recognizing our dependence on God for everything, and because of that amazing grace, seeing other's value as equal to our own.
And here’s a gold nugget for us - Peter reminds us to humble ourselves, or keep the right view of ourselves, “under the hand of” God. The phrase “hand of” is a Hebraism or Hebrew saying that means “someone who has the ability to act on behalf of another.” We’re not admitting our vulnerability or humbling ourselves under a crushing fist, a strangling hold, an oppressive palm… we are setting ourselves rightly in the capable hand of the only One powerful enough to act on behalf of another.
So how does that apply to our motherhood, when we feel like others are nailing it, but we’re drowning? When we feel like we’re the only one doing anything? When we feel like the world would crash without our awesome work, or perhaps the world would move on as if we never existed. In these thoughts and all the others, we hold it up to the Lord and ask Him to search for the truth of our heart. And then we trust Him to guide us to the truth, and we act on what He shows us.
This week we’re going to take some steps together, to not only sift our hearts but our perspectives, of ourselves and of God. Until then, and even then, trust that if He has you here, He is teaching and building what He deems necessary. Perhaps one of the greatest lessons of our lives will be the letting go, the releasing, the seeing ourselves rightly, and in those lessons we truly become free to live, not by our skewed sense of power, but by the power of God.
Faith Follow-Through:
This week, take some time to grow in motherhood and faith:
Monday:
As we start our week, let’s pray this prayer: Lord, search my heart this week. Please show me where I have a wrong view of You, and a wrong view of myself. Help me see rightly, so I may love and mother, not from my strength, but Yours. Help me see my children as Yours first. Teach me to lead with grace, serve with love, and walk in humility, that they may see You in me and want to follow You, too. Amen.
Tuesday:
A right perspective of God
The truth is, we all have different backgrounds, upbringings and scars that shape how we see God. But a right view of God, His enormity, His power, His grace, and His unending love are SO important. And so, each day this week, we want to, like David in Psalm 139:23-24, ask God to search our hearts and correct our perspective, specifically to help shape the wrong views of Him that we hold, because our faith stems from how we see Him.
Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your search for the character of God in scripture. Google some verses, or start reading through the book of Matthew, and simply look for Jesus, what He says about God, and how He interacts with people.
Write down and talk to God about anything that challenges your perspective of Him.
Talk about it with someone who is wise council so you can pray together!
Wednesday:
A right perspective of ourselves
Today we’ll ask God to help us take an honest look at our view of ourselves. I’m going to bet we have some places that don’t match up to God's view of us. Today, take an evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses, even on paper, and ask God to help you see how He’s working His glory in them both. We can’t fulfill what God is asking of us if our view of ourselves is off. Setting all that we are humbly before God is not about denying one’s abilities, but recognizing they are all gifts from God. And those weaknesses, we all have them. They are allowed so God can show His character more fully, and draw us closer to Him each day. Remember, a right, humble view of ourselves before God will always be one of dependence on Him for it all.
Today, simply talk to God. Ask Him to search your heart and perspective, and then listen for His answer. Admit what He sees and ask Him for help to see yourself as He sees all His children.
Google a scripture about how God sees His children, write it down, and talk to Jesus about it.
Thursday:
Humble yourself under God's mighty hand
We’re asking God this week to correctly shape our view of Him and ourselves. Today, we’re going to submit ourselves under HIS ability to work in our lives and the lives of others. Whether you feel like you’re rocking it or ruining it, our paths are dependent on Him. Jesus reminds us if we love Him, we will do what He asks (John 14:23) and live His way. He tells us clearly our call is to love the Lord our God with all ourselves, all our desires, all our strength and all our thoughts, and to love and value others as we value ourselves (Matthew 22:37). These abilities are a gift of the Holy Spirit. We can’t free ourselves from any aspect of sin by ourselves.
Throughout the rest of the week and weekend, armed with a fresh perspective of God and yourself, lean on God’s grace in motherhood. Lean on Him in your weaknesses, rather than being a supermom or making your grip even tighter on your kids and family life (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Humble yourself under God and ask for help to model apologizing when you mess up. Humble yourself under God, and let your children see where you turn when you need grace, so they know where to seek it too. Now this mom, this is chain breaking, foundation building, kingdom work. Perhaps nothing is more important than to teach our kids the character of God and how to rightly humble ourselves under a mighty and loving Savior.
