“[Humility] is the nourishing, calming acceptance that you have a small place in a much larger story: that your life is being guided by something far bigger than your plans or controls, and serving something far bigger than your sole benefit”

Humility is the first book in the Growing Gospel Integrity series created by Gavin Ortlund that explores the way we live out the Gospel in our lives. People whose lives have been transformed by the Gospel will be characterised by humility, as they know that their salvation is not the result of their own works or achievements, but Christ’s (Ephesians 2:8 – 9).

The first part of the book elaborates on cultivating humility on our personal lives. Ortlund starts by clarifying the misconceptions that many people have about what it means to be humble. Humility is not about hiding our talents or devaluing ourselves, but it is about thinking of ourselves less and others more (Philippians 2:3). The book provides a succinct and very helpful definition of humility: “Humility means that you don’t interpret everything in relation to yourself, and you don’t need to. It is the death of the narrow, suffocating filter of self-referentiality. It is the nourishing, calming acceptance that you have a small place in a much larger story: that your life is being guided by something far bigger than your plans or controls, and serving something far bigger than your sole benefit“. 

Furthermore, Humility is also very practical as the author gives us ten ways we can cultivate humility and kill pride in our lives, such as practising gratitude, listening without judging, laugh at ourselves, and many more. The second part of the book explores what humility looks like in church life, in leadership, among our peers (overcoming envy and competition) and submission. Humility is definitely a must-read if we want to grow in the gospel and become the living gospel to bless others.