Day 6 of False Choices: You must choose between being humble or being bold.

“While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?””

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You may have heard the phrase, “Don’t mistake my meekness for weakness.” Now, we know what that means when we hear it, yet many Christians seem to be confused as to how to “balance” these two attributes.

My father was—in one way—probably one of the most humble human beings I have ever known. As well, he was one of the most bold human beings I have ever known.

I have seen my father publicly belittled by people no where near his level of experience with the Lord, yet he took it with grace (although it probably broke his heart).

I have also seen my father rise up with a startling level of ferocity when he thought someone—other than himself—was being done wrong.

You see, there is the distinction: he did not try to defend himself when being belittled, yet he would boldly come to someone else’s defense.

We know that humility before God is a prerequisite for being led by His spirit into all the things He wants for us.

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

‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus presented humility (being poor in spirit) as describing those who would be able to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

“Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Indeed, Jesus Himself is the best example we have of unfathomable humility as well as unequaled boldness.

Jesus—the God-Man—humbled Himself to wash His disciples’ feet.

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yet, this same Jesus confronted the very powerful religious leaders of His day and also cleared the temple of those using the people for profit.

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭44‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!””

‭‭John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Indeed, Jesus describes Himself as being humble.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yet, He was not reticent to proclaim His authority.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our opening scripture we see an incident occurring between Moses and his brother and sister. In this narrative, we also see Moses described as being the most humble man on earth. Now, this scripture used to confuse me as I considered all the things Moses did while leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the desert for those 40 years. When I asked the Lord about this, His answer to me was that Moses was never motivated by self-interest in terms of his zealous behavior.

Looking at the portion of scripture referencing Moses’ humility in the Amplified Bible gives further insight into why Moses was described as being humble:

“(Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

If you read further in this story you will see that God took vengeance for Moses. This is what the Lord does for all of His children who are humble before Him.

Being humble before God is to be aware of our complete dependence upon Him and acting in accordance with that knowledge. Being humble with people is taking on the spirit of Christ in our interactions with them. Sometimes our interactions may look ferocious and bold, but even then, humility is present.

Humility and boldness are not mutually exclusive: one does not prohibit the other. Indeed, being Christlike is being truly humble and truly bold.

Today we lay to rest the false choice between being humble or being bold.

#10daysoffalsechoices