“Christian humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less… It is to be no longer always noticing yourself and how you are doing and how you are being treated…
Humility is a byproduct of belief in the gospel of Christ. In the gospel, we have a confidence not based in our performance but in the love of God in Christ (Rom. 3:22-24). This frees us from having to always be looking at ourselves. Our sin was so great, nothing less than the death of Jesus could save us. He had to die for us. But his love for us was so great, Jesus was glad to die for us.
…the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it…is not needing to think about myself. Not needing to connect things with myself. It is an end to thoughts such as, ‘I’m in this room with these people, does that make me look good? Do I want to be here?’ True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself…The blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings.” (Tim Keller)
Painting: The Reflection, by Edouard Gelhay, 1856
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