Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was an amazingly prolific Christian writer. He lived and ministered as both a pastor and author in the towns and villages of South Africa. Some of Murray's earliest works were written to provide nurture and guidance to Christians, whether young or old in the faith; they were actually an extension of his pastoral work. Once books such as Abide in Christ, Divine Healing, and With Christ in the School of Prayer were written, Murray became widely known, and new books from his pen were awaited with great eagerness throughout the world. He wrote to give daily practical help to many of the people in his congregation who lived out in the farming communities and could come into town for church services only on rare occasions. As he wrote these books of instruction, Murray adopted the practice of placing many of his more devotional books into thirty-one separate readings to correspond with the days of the month. At the age of seventy-eight, Murray resigned from the pastorate and devoted most of his time to his manuscripts. He continued to write profusely, moving from one book to the next with an intensity of purpose and a zeal that few men of God have ever equaled. He often said of himself, rather humorously, that he was like a hen about to hatch an egg; he was restless and unhappy until he got the burden of the message off his mind. During these later years, after hearing of pocket-sized paperbacks, Andrew Murray immediately began to write books to be published in that fashion. He thought it was a splendid way to have the teachings of the Christian life at your fingertips, where they could be carried around and read at any time of the day. One source has said of Andrew Murray that his prolific style possesses the strength and eloquence that are born of deep earnestness and a sense of the solemnity of the issues of the Christian life. Nearly every page reveals an intensity of purpose and appeal that stirs men to the depths of their souls. Murray moves the emotions, searches the conscience, and reveals the sins and shortcomings of many of us with a love and hope born out of an intimate knowledge of the mercy and faithfulness of God. For Andrew Murray, prayer was considered our personal home base from which we live our Christian lives and extend ourselves to others. During his later years, the vital necessity of unceasing prayer in the spiritual life came to the forefront of his teachings. It was then that he revealed the secret treasures of his heart concerning a life of persistent and believing prayer. Countless people the world over have hailed Andrew Murray as their spiritual father and given credit for much of their Christian growth to the influence of his priceless devotional books.

Chapter 1 : Humility: The Glory of God’s Creation

The twenty-four elders fall down and worship the One who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created.”
(Rev. 4:10-11)

God wanted one thing when He created the universe: to show in it the glory of His love, wisdom, and power. He meant for human beings to share in His perfection and blessedness as part of that creation. God wanted to reveal Himself in and through created beings by filling them to the brim with His own goodness and glory. But God did not give Adam and Eve some independent goodness for them to claim as their own apart from Him. No way!

God is ever living, ever present, and ever active. He upholds all things with His powerful Word. All things exist in Him. So the relationship of man to God could only be through continual, absolute, total dependence. God created by His power, and He must hold His creation together by that same power. We only have to look back to our origin to realize we owe everything to God. Our main goal, our highest good, and our only happiness—now and forever—is to offer ourselves to God as empty vessels that He can fill, to show His power and goodness.

God doesn’t give us life once and for all, and then leave. He gives us life moment by moment, with a constant working of His mighty power. Humility—the place of total dependence on God—is our primary duty and highest good. That’s just how the universe is put together!

So pride—the loss of this humility—is the root of every sin and evil. When did the devil and his angels start down that road of disobedience that led to them being cast down from the light of heaven into outer darkness? It was when they began to be focused on themselves. When the serpent injected the venom of his pride—the desire to be like God—into Adam and Eve, they, too, fell from the special place God had made for them. They dove headlong into all of the wretchedness you see their descendants in now. In all of heaven and earth, pride and exalting yourself is the gate to hell—and its greatest curse.

It is obvious, then, that nothing can be right again until our lost humility is restored. Humility is the original and only true basis of relationship a human being can have with God. Jesus came to bring humility back to earth, to make us sharers in it, and by it to save us. In heaven, He humbled Himself to become a man. The humility we see in Him, he possessed in Heaven. Humility brought Jesus, and Jesus brought humility, down to earth. Once He was here, “He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying” (Phil. 2:8). His humility gave His death its value, and so became our redemption. Now the salvation He offers us is nothing less than being joined to His life and death, His character and spirit. His own humility is the foundation of His relationship with the Father and His work to redeem us. He took our place and fulfilled our destiny by His life of perfect humility. His humility is our salvation. His salvation is our humility.

If our salvation is real, our lives should be stamped with the mark of being delivered from sin and restored to our place as God’s vessels. Our whole relationship to God and to other people must be marked by humility, through and through. Otherwise, how could we live in God’s presence, experiencing His love and the power of His Spirit? Without taking our place of dependence, we can’t have a lasting faith or love or joy or strength. Life will be full of ups and downs. Humility is the only soil where Christ-like character can take root. A lack of humility is the only explanation you need for every flaw and failure you have. Humility is not one of many good character traits; it is the root of all of them, because it places us in the right relationship with God and frees Him up to do all that He desires. God gave us the ability to think logically for a reason. If we can only see our absolute need for His command that we be humble, we will want to obey, with all our minds. But God’s people have not really understood His call to humility. Our minds have been dull to its importance.

Humility is not a thing we bring to God. It is also not a thing God gives to us. It is simply the realization of what nothings we really are, when we truly see how God is Everything, and when we clear out room in our hearts so that He can be everything for us. We have to understand that this realization is the only noble thing we can ever really think or do. We must make a choice, with our wills, minds, and emotions, to become empty vessels that God can fill with His life and glory. Then we will see that humility is simply acknowledging the truth about who we are and yielding to God His rightful place.

For true disciples who are pursuing holiness, humility should be the number one evidence of their righteousness. But how rare this humility is on our planet today! It may be that the teaching and example of those who are supposed to be leaders in God’s House has never reflected the emphasis He gives humility. This truth has been almost forgotten: although sin is a powerful motive for humility, there is a stronger one. This motive makes the angels in heaven and the Son of God Himself so humble. Here it is: the core of man’s relationship to God, the secret to blessing, is the humility and nothingness that leaves God free to be All.

Many Christians are probably just like me. We knew the Lord a long time without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as they were of the Master. Humility doesn’t just “happen.” We have to want it. It requires faith, prayer, and practice. As we lean into God’s Word, we will see that Jesus gave His disciples clear and frequent teaching on this point. We will also see how slow they were to understand it.

From the start, let’s admit that nothing comes quite so naturally to us—and nothing is so hidden in our blind spots—as pride. That’s why it is so dangerous. Let’s realize that nothing but a determined and persevering seeking of God will open our eyes to see how lacking we are in humility and how feeble we are in obtaining it! Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus until our souls are filled with love and admiration for His humility. And let’s believe that, when we are broken down under a sense of our pride and realize our inability to get rid of it, that Jesus Christ Himself will give us this grace as a part of His wonderful Life within us.

Chapter 2 : Humility: The Secret of Redemption

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not demand and cling to His rights as God. He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised Him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name that is above every other name.
(Phil. 2:5-9)

A tree grows from its own root. Through its whole existence, the tree lives with the same life that was in the seed that produced it. This truth can help us see why we need to be redeemed and how God has met that need.

The devil was thrown down from heaven because of his pride. His whole character is pride. When he hissed his words of temptation into Eve’s ear, his words dripped with the venom of hell. And when she listened and yielded her heart and will to the desire to be like God, knowing good and evil for herself, that venom entered her spiritual bloodstream and poisoned her life. Gone forever was the wonderful humility and dependence on God that would have guaranteed the everlasting happiness of the human race. Instead, human life became corrupted with the most terrible of all sin and curses, the poison of the devil’s own pride.

All of the wretchedness the world has seen began with that curse. Hellish pride—either our own or someone else’s—is responsible for all the misery we’ve experienced. All war and bloodshed among nations, all selfishness and suffering, all ambition and jealousy, every broken heart and bitter life, are the results of this same wicked pride.

It is because of pride that we need to be redeemed. If we are to grasp how desperately we need Jesus, we must see the terrible power that pride has over us.

The power that satan brought from hell and injected into human life is working daily—hourly—with incredible force throughout the world. People suffer from it. They fear it, fight against it, and try to run away from it. But they still don’t know where it comes from or why it is so strong. No wonder they have no clue about how to overcome it!

Pride’s power is in the spiritual realm, both inside and outside us. We need to confess it, hate it, and realize its satanic origin. Seeing pride for what it is may cause us to despair of ever overcoming it and removing it from our hearts. But it will also drive us to discover the supernatural power that is our only hope—the redemption of the Lamb of God. Our hopeless struggle against self and pride may seem even more hopeless when we think of the power of darkness that is against us. But eventually we will better realize and accept the power and life that are offered to us—the humility of heaven, brought into our hearts by the Lamb of God to cast out the devil and his pride.

If we need to look at Adam and Eve’s sin to understand the power of the sin that’s inside us, how much more do we need to know the power of the Second Adam, Jesus. He offers us a life of humility that is even more real and more lasting and more powerful than our pride. Our life is from and in Christ. We are to “let our roots grow down into Him,” for “we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.” (Col. 2:7, 19)

The life of God, which entered the human race when Jesus was born, is the root where we must stand and grow. The same power that worked in Jesus, from the manger to the empty tomb, can work daily in us. Do you know what our main need is? It is to know and trust that the life that has been revealed in Christ is now our life. His life is waiting only for our permission to gain possession and mastery over our whole being.

We need to know Christ! We must see Him clearly. We especially need a revelation of the root of His character as our Redeemer: His humility. What did Jesus’ birth mean, except that with heavenly humility He was emptying Himself and becoming one of us? What was His life on earth about, if it wasn’t taking the form of a servant? What was the cross, other than the most humble act the universe has ever witnessed? “He obediently humbled Himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.” And what was Jesus’ ascension to God’s throne, except humility crowned with glory? “God raised Him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name that is above every other name.”

In heaven, where Jesus was with the Father, in His birth, in His life, in His death, and on His throne, everything was and is humility. Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature. He is eternal love humbling itself, clothing itself with meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us. Love is what makes God the servant of all, and humility is what makes Jesus who He is. Even on the throne, He is the meek and lowly Lamb of God.

Humility is the root of the tree. You can tell it by looking at every branch and leaf and fruit. If the secret of Jesus’ life and death is humility, then the health and strength of our own spiritual lives will completely depend on our making humility our top priority, too. We must make humility the thing we admire about Him most, the main thing we ask of Him, and the one thing we see that we can’t live without.

Is it any wonder that the so-called “Christian life” is so often weak and fruitless, if the root of the Christ-life is neglected? Should we be surprised that the joy of salvation is so little felt, when the place where Jesus found it—the place of lowliness—is so little searched for? We must seek a humility that will settle for nothing less than dying to self. We must decide to give up trying to get men to honor us and seek the honor that comes only from God. We must learn to count ourselves as nothing so that God may be everything, that Jesus alone will be lifted up. Until we make humility our main joy and welcome it at any price, there is very little hope of a faith that will overcome the world.

How much that is called by Jesus’ name really demonstrates this humility? Think about the lack of love, the indifference towards others’ needs, the sharp and critical judgment of others that we are so quick to excuse. Think of the temper and irritation, the bitterness and loneliness that have their root in pride. Pride only seeks itself.

Devilish pride creeps in almost everywhere. What would happen if believers were to become permanently guided by the humility of Jesus? Oh, for the meekness of Jesus in myself and in everyone around me! We must honestly set our hearts on Jesus’ humility, and how far we fall short of it. Only then will we begin to feel what Christ and His salvation really are.

Do you believe in Jesus? Then study His humility! It is the secret, the hidden root of your redemption. Sink down into it more deeply day by day. Believe with your whole heart that Christ—God’s gift to us—will work in us, making us what the Father wants us to be.

Chapter 3 : Humility in the Life of Jesus

Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant.
(Luke 22:27)

John’s gospel opens a window to the inner life of Jesus. Often Jesus spoke of His relationship with His Father. He revealed the motives that guided Him. He shared the heart behind what He did. Although the word “humble” doesn’t appear in John, Jesus’ humility is revealed there like nowhere else in Scripture.

We have already defined humility as a person’s simple consent to let God be everything—a surrender to His purposes. In Jesus we will see the perfect example of humility. Both as the Son of God in heaven and the Son of Man on earth, He took the place of complete submission. He gave God the honor and the glory that are due Him. He lived what He taught: “The humble will be honored.” As the Scriptures say, “He obediently humbled Himself... because of this, God raised Him up to the heights of heaven.”

Listen to these words from John’s gospel where Jesus speaks of His relationship with His Father. Notice how often He uses the words “not” and “nothing” of Himself. The “not I” that Paul uses to speak of his own relationship to Christ is the same heart Jesus expresses when He speaks of His relationship with the Father.

• “The Son can do nothing by Himself.” (John 5:19)
• “I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And My judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent Me; it is not merely My own.” (John 5:30)
• “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do what I want.” (John 6:38)
• “I’m not teaching My own ideas, but those of God who sent Me.” (John 7:16)
• “I do nothing on My own, but I speak what the Father has taught Me.” (John 8:28)
• “I am not here on My own, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42)
• “I have no wish to glorify Myself.” (John 8:50)
• “The words I say are not My own, but the Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.” (John 14:10)
• “And remember, My words are not My own. This message is from the Father who sent Me.” (John 14:24)

These words expose the deepest roots of Christ’s life and work. They show why Almighty God could perform His mighty work of redemption through Him. They demonstrate how important it was to Jesus to have the right heart towards His Father. And they teach us the inner character of that Life that came to save us and now can live in us.

Jesus became nothing, so that the Father could be everything. He submitted His strength and will completely so that the Father could work in Him. What did Jesus have to say about His own power, His own will, and His own glory, about His whole mission with all His works and teaching? “It is not I; I am nothing; I have given Myself to the Father to work. I am nothing. The Father is everything.”

Christ found this life of complete self-surrender, of absolute submission and dependence on God’s will, to be perfect peace and joy. He lost nothing by giving everything to God! The Father honored Jesus’ trust and did everything for Him, then raised Him up to His own right hand in glory. And because Christ humbled Himself before God in that way, and because God was always near Him, He found it possible to humble Himself before men, too. He was able to be the Servant of all. Jesus’ humility was simply surrender of Himself to God. He let the Father do in Him whatever He wanted. It didn’t matter what people around Him said of Him or did to Him.

It is with this heart and attitude that Christ’s redemption is powerful and effective. It is so that we will have this same Spirit that we have been allowed to share in Christ. When Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him, this is what He means: that we admit that self has no value except as an empty vessel for God to fill. The claim of self to be or do anything must not be allowed for one moment. More than anything else, humility is what becoming like Jesus is all about. We are to be and do nothing by ourselves so that God may be All.

In Jesus we discover what humility means. It is because we don’t understand or seek after it that our own humility is so shallow and feeble. We need to learn from Jesus how He is so meek and humble in heart. He teaches us where true humility finds its strength—in the knowledge that only God is good, and that our place is to yield to Him in perfect submission and dependence. We must agree to be and do nothing of ourselves. This Life is what Jesus came to show us and give us—a Life in God that comes from death to sin and self.

Are you feeling that this Life is too far beyond you, that you could never reach it? Then let that realization drive you to seek the answer in Him. Only Jesus, living inside of us, can live this life of humility in us. If we long for it, let us ask Jesus for His secret. That secret—which is meant for every child of God to know—is that Jesus lived His life as a vessel, a channel through whom the Living God could show the riches of His wisdom, power, and goodness. The energy behind all spiritual growth and all faith and genuine worship comes from a conviction that all that we have comes from God. Then we will bow in deepest humility to wait on Him for it.

For Jesus, humility wasn’t just some temporary emotion that He felt when He thought about His Father. It was the very Spirit of His whole life. That’s why He could be just as humble with people as He was with His Father. He considered Himself only a Servant of God, sent for God’s purposes to the men and women He had created and loved. It was very natural, then, that He thought of Himself as a servant through whom the Father could do His work of love. Jesus never thought for a moment of seeking His own honor or asserting His own power to prove anything about Himself. His whole Spirit was that of a life yielded to God so that God could work through it. It is not until we Christians open our hearts to this revelation of Jesus’ humility that we will start feeling the empty space in our own hearts—the space that humility was meant to fill. When we realize that humility is the only true relationship to the Father, we will hurt over our lack of reality with God. Whatever we may be satisfied with about our “Christian life” must be set aside as nothing until we find Jesus’ humility.

Brother or sister, are you clothed with humility? Ask your daily life. Ask Jesus. Ask your friends. Ask the world. And begin to praise God that in Jesus you have a Way to a heavenly humility that you have barely understood and a blessing that you’ve never really tasted before.