The Search for Humility
— by William Norvell
"He must increase, but I must decrease" - John the Baptist
This verse was the inspiration for my new podcast, The Search for Humility
I've recently studied the life and impact of John the Baptist, and the little information we know about him is quite staggering.
In Matthew 11, Jesus himself said of John: "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
This quote sums up what I admire about John because I believe he truly internalized both of those statements.
Notwithstanding Jesus himself, we can learn more about humility from the life of John the Baptist than from anyone else. He truly lived out his calling in extraordinary ways while always pointing people back to the King.
Remember Jesus's baptism. First of all, he did not need to get baptized by a mortal man, but once he decided to do so—why did he choose John? I believe he went to John because he knew his heart would not well up with pride at being chosen for such a lofty task. Because he was truly a humble man.
As I've studied John the Baptist, I have become convinced that humility is God's secret weapon to thwart the ultimate enemy of pride and bring pockets of heaven to earth. If I can focus on how Jesus must increase and I must decrease, then God will, without fail, use me for his purposes. Easier said than done.
So, I decided to embark on a 50-day journey through scripture to unlock this secret weapon. Since I am more of a speaker than writer, I did this in podcast form.
The Search for Humility is a 50-day journey in five parts:
Season 1 - Jesus as our example of humility
Season 2 - Dangers of pride
Season 3 - The fight for humility
Season 4 - Humility in community
Season 5 - Rewards of humility
I would be honored if anyone wants to come on this journey with me. Hopefully, the Word of God can come alive in new ways and our hearts can become more humble.