ESV

6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

The Message

It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time.

ESV

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.

NLT

For the Lord delights in his people;
     he crowns the humble with victory.

In the season 5 trailer, we will explore the "Rewards of Humility".  This will be the last season of the Search for Humility.  Grateful for everyone being on the journey!

ESV

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

The Message

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

ESV

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

NLT

2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

ESV

To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

The Message

No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.

ESV

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Message

“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

ESV

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

The Message

Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

ESV

Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

The Message

Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh’s mind at ease.”

ESV

Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

The Message

Now the man Moses was a quietly humble man, more so than anyone living on Earth.

ESV

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

The Message

Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Message

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
     what God is looking for in men and women.
 It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
     be compassionate and loyal in your love,
 And don’t take yourself too seriously—
     take God seriously.

ESV

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

NLT

The lowly will possess the land
     and will live in peace and prosperity.

ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Message

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

In this episode I will discuss what's coming in Season 4 - "Humility in Community".

ESV

The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 The Message

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

ESV

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

The Message

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.

ESV

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

 The Message

So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

 The Message

In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

ESV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 The Message

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?”

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. 

ESV

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

The Message

Don’t call attention to yourself;
     let others do that for you.

ESV

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

The Message

Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
    first you learn humility, then you experience glory.

ESV

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.

The Message

Seek God, all you quietly disciplined people
     who live by God’s justice.
 Seek God’s right ways. Seek a quiet and disciplined life.
     Perhaps you’ll be hidden on the Day of God’s anger.

ESV

Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

The Message

‘Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I’m taking you seriously.

ESV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

NLT 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

In this episode we learn about Season 3 - "The Fight for Humility".

ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

 The Message

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

In this episode, we will preview Season 2 - The Dangers of Pride.

ESV

Two things I ask of you;
     deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
     give me neither poverty nor riches;
     feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
     and say, “Who is the Lord?”
 or lest I be poor and steal
     and profane the name of my God.

The Message

And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things
     before I die; don’t refuse me—
 Banish lies from my lips
     and liars from my presence.
 Give me enough food to live on,
     neither too much nor too little.
 If I’m too full, I might get independent,
     saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’
 If I’m poor, I might steal
     and dishonor the name of my God.”

ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

The Message

First pride, then the crash—
     the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

It’s better to live humbly among the poor
     than to live it up among the rich and famous.

ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

The Message

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.

ESV

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

The Message

The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,
     whose ways I hate with a passion—
     pride and arrogance and crooked talk.

ESV

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

The Message

Fools are headstrong and do what they like;
     wise people take advice.

ESV

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

The Message

And that’s why I’m singing—I, Nebuchadnezzar—singing and praising the King of Heaven:

“Everything he does is right,
     and he does it the right way.
 He knows how to turn a proud person
     into a humble man or woman.”

ESV

All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

NLT

My hands have made both heaven and earth;
    they and everything in them are mine.[a]
     I, the Lord, have spoken!

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
    who tremble at my word.

ESV

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.

New Living Translation

Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
     but he keeps his distance from the proud. 

ESV

The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

The Message

God puts the fallen on their feet again
     and pushes the wicked into the ditch.

ESV

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

The Message

The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
     but down-to-earth people stand firm.

ESV

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

The Message

If I have to “brag” about myself, I’ll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2

ESV

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Message

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

John 13:5

ESV

Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

The Message

So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron.

Matthew 3:13-15

ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

The Message

13-14 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”

15 But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.

Mark 10:45

ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Message

That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

Hebrews 4:15

ESV

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

The Message

We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.

2 Corinthians 8:9

ESV

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

The Message

You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

ESV

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

NLT

The Lord is good and does what is right;
     he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
 He leads the humble in doing right,
     teaching them his way.

Mark 9:35

ESV

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

The Message

35 He sat down and summoned the Twelve. “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all."

Matthew 11:29

ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Message

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Philippians 2:5-8

ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Message

5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Zechariah 9:9 

ESV 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The Message 

“Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!
    Raise your voice, Daughter Jerusalem!
Your king is coming!
    a good king who makes all things right,
    a humble king riding a donkey,
    a mere colt of a donkey.