“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling” is the call to believers out of Ephesians 4:1-8. We have a duty to uphold, being adopted sons of God and imitators of Christ.
Humility is freedom from pride and arrogance. However, it is not thinking poorly of ourselves. Instead, humility is the recognition that everything we have comes from God, that we are sinners saved by grace, that we are not superior to others, and that God is the ultimate authority—not us. Humility must be learned, because our natural instinct is often to exalt ourselves.
Philippians 2:3–8 gives a clear example of this humility in Christ. Paul tells believers to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but to regard others as more important than themselves.
We are created to look out for our own interests, but we are also called to look for the interests of others. Jesus is the perfect picture of this. Though He existed in the form of God, He “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. ”Instead, He “emptied Himself”, took the form of a bond-servant, and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. That is maximum humility!
The concept of being humble appears repeatedly throughout the Bible, and usually with an attached promise. For instance, James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” And, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE” in 1 Peter 5:5-6.
This repeated lesson is simple: we must let God exalt us and avoid exalting ourselves.
Gentleness is the reflection of humility. It flows from being truly humble. Humility is the way we see ourselves and gentleness is the result, demonstrating how we treat others.
Despite common assumptions, gentleness is not weakness. Rather, it is strength under control. Jesus was gentle, yet He admonished sin. Moses was called meek, yet he confronted Pharaoh. Paul could be gentle with the church and still boldly rebuke false teaching. Gentleness does not mean avoiding truth; it means delivering truth with a spirit shaped by grace.
Galatians 5:22–23 names gentleness as a fruit of the Spirit, which means it is evidence of God’s work in us, not merely a personality trait we manufacture on our own. Proverbs 15:1 says that a gentle answer turns away wrath. Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.” Galatians 6:1 encourages believers to restore someone caught in sin with a spirit of gentleness. In each case, gentleness becomes the outward expression of a heart that knows it has also received mercy.
Humility comes first. I would suggest that we cannot be truly gentle without it.
As humility grows, we become teachable. We become able to receive correction, listen before we speak, and extend grace because we know grace has been extended to us. The humble person recognizes that the only thing separating them from the unbeliever is the grace of God.
So, to walk worthy of our calling, we must begin low before God. We humble ourselves in His presence, trust Him to exalt us at the proper time, and allow that humility to shape the way we speak, correct, serve, and love others.
Humility changes how we see ourselves; gentleness changes how others experience us. Together, they reflect the character of Christ and help preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
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