It's hard to be humble. St. Benedict (480-547), called the "Father of Western Monasticism",
wrote a guide to humility that is still popular today. The guide is a chapter within Benedict's
Rule, which set forth a blueprint for the life of the monks within his monasteries. The
following excerpt summarizes this ladder to humility.
From "Steps to Humility":
Brethren, the Holy Scripture cries to us saying: "Every one that excaptions himself shall be
humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be excaptioned."
"The first degree of humility, then, is that a man always have the fear of God before his
eyes shunning all forgetfulness and that he be ever mindful of all that God hath
commanded… .
"The second degree of humility is, when a man loveth not his own will, nor is pleased to
fulfill his own desires but by his deeds carrieth out that word of the Lord which saith: 'I
came not to do My own will but the will of Him that sent Me.'
"The third degree of humility is, that for the love of God a man subject himself to a Superior
in all obedience, imitating the Lord, of whom the Apostle saith: 'He became obedient unto
death.'
"The fourth degree of humility is, that, if hard and distasteful things are commanded, nay,
even though injuries are inflicted, he accept them with patience and even temper, and not
grow weary or give up… .
"The fifth degree of humility is, when one hideth from his Abbot none of the evil thoughts
which rise in his heart or the evils committed by him in secret, but humbly confesseth them.
"The sixth degree of humility is, when a monk is content with the meanest and worst of
everything, and in all that is enjoined him holdeth himself as a bad and worthless workman,
saying with the Prophet: 'I am brought to nothing and I knew it not; I am become as a
beast before Thee, and I am always with Thee.'
"The seventh degree of humility is, when, not only with his tongue he declareth, but also in
his inmost soul believeth, that he is the lowest and vilest of men, humbling himself and
saying with the Prophet: 'But I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the
outcast of the people.'
"The eighth degree of humility is, when a monk doeth nothing but what is sanctioned by the
common rule of the monastery and the example of his elders.
"The ninth degree of humility is, when a monk withholdeth his tongue from speaking, and
keeping silence doth not speak until he is asked; for the Scripture showeth that 'in a
multitude of words there shall not want sin.'
"The tenth degree of humility is, when a monk is not easily moved and quick for laughter,
for it is written: 'The fool excaptioneth his voice in laughter.'
"The eleventh degree of humility is, that, when a monk speaketh, he speak gently and
without laughter, humbly and with gravity, with few and sensible words, and that he be not
loud of voice, as it is written: 'The wise man is known by the fewness of his words.'
"The twelfth degree of humility is, when a monk is not only humble of heart, but always
letteth it appear also in his whole exterior to all that see him; namely, at the Work of God,
in the garden, on a journey, in the field, or wherever he may be, sitting, walking, or
standing, let him always have his head bowed down, his eyes fixed on the ground, ever
holding himself guilty of his sins, thinking that he is already standing before the dread
judgment seat of God, and always saying to himself in his heart what the publican in the
Gospel said, with his eyes fixed on the ground: 'Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to lift up
mine eyes to heaven'; and again with the Prophet: 'I am bowed down and humbled
exceedingly.'
"Having, therefore, ascended all these degrees of humility, the monk will presently arrive at
that love of God, which being perfect, casteth out fear. In virtue of this love all things which
at first he observed not without fear, he will now begin to keep without any effort, and as it
were, naturally by force of habit, no longer from the fear of hell, but from the love of Christ,
from the very habit of good and the pleasure in virtue. May the Lord be pleased to manifest
all this by His Holy Spirit in His laborer now cleansed from vice and sin."
Bible verses
Humility:
Philippians 2:3-11
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of
others. 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. ...
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Micah 6:8
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?
Fear of God
Proverbs 22:4 ESV / 64 helpful votes
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.
Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can
destroy both soul and body in hell.
Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may
be before you, that you may not sin.”
Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come
and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and
whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Do God’s will:
Deuteronomy 28:1-68
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his
commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the
nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey
the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the
field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your
cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and
your kneading bowl. ...
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said,
“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works
in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers
of lawlessness.’
Obedience
Jeremiah 7:23
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my
people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
2 Chronicles 31:21
And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with
the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
2 John 1:6-9
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just
as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have
gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such
a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we
have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in
the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father
and the Son
Matthew 9:9 ESV / 19 helpful votes
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he
said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those
who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that
would be of no advantage to you.
Revelation 22:7
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of
this book.”
Enduring Hardships with patience, even temper, perseverance.
Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like
eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Psalm 37:7-9
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers
in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for
the Lord shall inherit the land.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us,
2 Timothy 2:24
And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently
enduring evil,
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Confession
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them
will obtain mercy.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Poverty
Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be
content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every
circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can
do all things through him who strengthens me.
James 5:1-20
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches
have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their
corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure
in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back
by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of
the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have
fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. ...
Putting Yourself lower than others
Luke 13:30
And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Matthew 16:23
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are
not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Luke 14:6-8. When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told
them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of
honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.
Believing yourself to be of low standing
Proverbs 29:23
One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
Matthew 15:26-28
New International Version (NIV)
26
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!(A) Your request is granted.” And her
daughter was healed at that moment.
28
Isaiah 2:11-17 And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall
be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
Obey the rules of the group
1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with
humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those
who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that
would be of no advantage to you.
3 John 1:9-10
I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not
acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked
nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also
stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
Keeping Silence until spoken to.
1 Timothy 2:12
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain
quiet.
Proverbs 21:23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
James 3:6 -8
James 3:5-8
And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members,
staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
Psalm 12:3-4
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say,
“With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
Laughter
Ecclesiastes 7:6
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.
Psalm 59:8
But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision.
Proverbs 14:13
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
Speak wisely with few words
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought
to answer each person.
Proverbs 31:26
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 12:18
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings
healing.
Let Humility be evident to others always
Luke 17:1-10
New International Version (NIV)
Sin, Faith, Duty
17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble(A) are bound to come, but
woe to anyone through whom they come.(B) 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the
sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones(C) to stumble.(D) 3
So watch yourselves.
“If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them;(E) and if they repent, forgive them.(F) 4
Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I
repent,’ you must forgive them.”(G)
5
The apostles(H) said to the Lord,(I) “Increase our faith!”
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,(J) you can say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.(K)
6
“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant
when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say,
‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me(L) while I eat and drink; after that you
may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you
also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy
servants; we have only done our duty.’”(M)
7
Verses
Philippians 2:3-11
Luke 14:11
Micah 6:8
Proverbs 22:4
Matthew 10:28
Exodus 20:20
Revelation 15:4
1 John 4:18
Deuteronomy 28:1-3
Genesis 3:13
Matthew 7:21-23
Jeremiah 7:23
2 Chronicles 31:21
2 John 1:6-9
Matthew 9:9
Hebrews 13:17
Revelation 22:7
Isaiah 40:31
Galatians 6:9
Psalms 37:7-9
Hebrews 12:1
2 Timothy 2:24
John 14:15
Proverbs 28:13
1 John 1:9
James 5:16
Philippians 4:11-13
James 5:1-5
Luke 13:30
Matthew 16:23
Luke 14:6-8
Proverbs 29:23
Matthew 15:26-28
1 Peter 5:5
Hebrews 13:17
3 John 1:9-10
1 Timothy 2:12
Proverbs 21:23
James 3:5-8
Psalms 12:3-4
Ecclesiastes 7:6
Psalm 59:8
Proverbs 14:13
Colossians 4:6
Proverbs 31:26
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 12:18
Luke 17:1-10