We strive for success. Trying to make a name for ourselves. But how can being a humble woman lead to success? Here are 6 characteristics of being humble and how those ultimately lead us to success.
6 Characteristics of Being a Humble Woman
1. She seeks God’s face and repents
A humble person will seek out God and repent for their sins. They know that God is the creator and in control of all things. He is the one that we need to humbly bow down and get right before Him.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV
wicked ways. God hears and forgives you.
God will hear you and forgive your sin when you humbly come before Him. The healing in this context was about the land and restoring it. Other instances in the Old Testament can relate to forgiveness or even physical healing.
Regardless of the reason for healing, God promises to hear you and forgive you when you turn from your sin and from the sinful way of life.
2. A Humble Woman makes amends
She will make amends with others. A woman who is humble recognizes that she has offended another person will seek that person out and ask their forgiveness.
Because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
2 Kings 22:19 ESV
Keep in mind that the other person may not be ready to forgive you. That is okay. Your part is to seek forgiveness for your part of the offense and make amends. God hears you, wipes that sin away, and will never remember it again (Psalm 103:12 ESV).
I had said something once to a co-worker that was gossiping. And I was convicted later after I had said that. The next time I talked to that co-worker, I apologized for saying those words against the other person. Right away, the co-worker told me that it wasn’t necessary to apologize. I told her that I did. I am a Christian, and I needed to apologize because it reflected poorly on Christ I represent. She accepted my apology, and we left it at that.
Sometimes people will forgive you. And other times, they will dismiss it as unnecessary. Other times, they will completely ignore what you said and want to move on because the conversation is too hard to discuss, and they don’t want to talk about it.
Whichever way it turns out, you did your part. God will do the work of convicting the other person if that is necessary.
3. Seeks to do His Commands
The next three characteristics of being humble come from this verse:
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.
Zephaniah 2:3 ESV
Following God’s commands is all throughout scripture. God gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments in Exodus and it’s repeated in Deuteronomy.
God promises steadfast love for those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 5:10 ESV).
And in the New Testament, in John 14:15 ESV:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Obeying God’s commandments is an expression of our love towards God.
We need to keep on seeking to do what is good. It isn’t about doing good works to gain salvation as we receive salvation from grace (Ephesians 2:8,9 ESV). We want to do good because we want to please God.
When you want to do a good job at work, you work to please your boss. You hope to get a better raise or promotion.
In this case, you already have the prize – salvation and eternity in heaven. You aren’t required to do good. But you want to do good anyway out of gratefulness for all He has done.
4. Seeks righteousness
Righteousness is right living. We should seek to do right. This is closely tied to doing good above.
Seek good and not evil, that you may live.
Amos 5:14a ESV
When do what is right, our life is so much better. We don’t have to deal with the consequences of the ‘evil’ ways. You will reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7). If you choose to lie about others at work, you will reap the outcome of that decision.
5. Seeks humility
We need to seek the best in others before ourselves. This is something contrary to what is in the workplace.
It is all about SELFseeking the best promotion, the highest raise, and stepping all over others who are in your way.
6. Seeks refuge in the Lord
The last characteristic is the humble and lowly seeking refuge in God.
But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
Zephaniah 3:12 ESV
A humble person will seek refuge in God when the world is in chaos or life doesn’t make sense. Our hope is not in this world, government, or a job. It is in God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
All the things of the world will waste away. God is eternal, and we know that His Promises are true. We will spend eternity with Him but seeking refuge in Him gives us perfect peace now (Isaiah 26:3 ESV). We don’t have to wait for life in eternity to have that peace. Amen!
Example of a Humble Woman
I am sure that we all have had some woman in our lives that was humble and we can consider them successful.
One woman I admire who was wildly successful and yet very humble was Corrie ten Boom. She was a Dutch watchmaker and a Christian. Corrie, her sister, and her dad hid many Jews from the Nazi Gestapo. She was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. After 10 months, she survived and set up a rehabilitation center in the Netherlands.
She later became a speaker and author of more than 30 books. She chose to forgive those who hurt her and her sister. Her messages were of forgiveness, hope, love, and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Corrie ten Boom was a humble and successful woman.
What it all comes down to anyway…
Success in the world’s eye – seeking a name for yourself, getting rich, doing better than the other person, etc.
That is not how God sees success. His view is that we seek His Will and do the plan He has laid out for us.
Why would that be better for us and make us successful in His eyes? Because the plans He has for us are better than we can imagine. They are even better than what we plan for us. When we trust Him for a better plan, we are content in this life, and my friend, that is true success. Isn’t that part of what we are striving for is to be happy in what we do?
May we all choose to be humble, seek out God’s purpose for us, and be successful in God’s eyes.
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