The Bible says, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3 NIV). That's quite a statement and gives us insight to why Moses was used of God in such a mighty way. As a young man, Moses was strong, powerful and arrogant. But after he encountered God on that mountain in the Midianite desert, his heart would never be the same again. He moved from being one of the most powerful men on earth to becoming the most humble man on the planet. When Moses came out of the Midianite desert, he obtained his degree from the school of humility.

Humility is the chief characteristic of any man or woman of God. Augustine once said that humility is the mother of all virtues. That's true because all other virtues flow from a heart of humility. Why is humility then so important to the making of the man or woman of God? There's a couple of reasons.

First, humility is the essence of the life of Christ. Jesus was, is, and always will be God. Yet, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He left His throne in heaven and clothed Himself with human flesh. The essential nature of who Jesus was on this earth is found in His humility - God who became a man. The cry of the heart of everyone who desires to be God's man is to become like Jesus. And to become like Jesus is to "walk humbly with our God."

Second, we cannot grow in grace without humility. The Scriptures say: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6 NIV). It's a simple but profound truth. The proud heart will be in battle with God, but the humble heart will be blessed by God. Many want to be mighty for God but fail to understand that they must first walk humbly with God. We become all that we can possibly be through God's grace. We're saved by grace, forgiven by grace, and we grow only by grace.

If humility is so important, then we must understand what it is. Humility is not something that can be worn on our shirt sleeve. It's an inward attitude that recognizes the truth of Jesus' statement, "Without me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Humility comes from seeing God - His greatness, power, and purity. When we consider how great and mighty He is, we will then bow before Him in humble adoration. We'll cry out, "I can't, but You, oh God, can. I refuse to trust in my abilities, but rather I trust in your power."

Humility proceeds from having seen God in His holiness. Moses stood on holy ground. After that, God said that he was "...more humble than any one else on the face of the earth." How long has it been since you've seen God in His holiness? There's no room for pride on holy ground - only humble hearts allowed there.