We are thrilled to announce the publication of Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund. This is the first title in the series Growing Gospel Integrity Series, edited by Michael Reeves. Created in partnership with Crossway Publishing.
Here are 20 quotes to whet your appetite:
- “There is no reason not to live with a kind of astonished gratitude at what is around us—except a lack of humility.”
- “We think humility is an impossible burden, but in reality it is as light as a feather. It is pride that makes life gray and drab; humility brings out the color.”
- “Whatever else humility will require of you, it will never rob you of your dignity as an image bearer of God.”
- “Humility actually breeds strength and resilience because it frees us from the restricting needs of the ego—the need to be in charge, the need to look good, the need to defend ourselves, and so on.”
- “Being a big deal is a burden. Humility, in contrast, means 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.”
- “God has not merely given us an abstract definition of humility—in the person of Jesus Christ, he has himself (astonishingly!) displayed humility.”
- “The transcendent Son of God, adored by angels, through whom every star was made, while remaining fully God, lowered himself to the status of a fetus growing in Mary’s womb. Can you fathom it?”
- “When I contemplate the unpretentiousness of the gospel, I am ashamed of times I try to be noticed. Who am I to draw attention to myself when God himself took the hidden road?”
- “Humility is not a virtue we cultivate in the abstract; it is a mark of integrity to the gospel, and all our efforts at humility must be fueled by the gospel lest they result in mere fleshly counterfeits or imitations.”
- “The cross shows us the depth of God’s love, but it also shows us the depth of our sinful need. It reveals what God was willing to do, but it also reveals what he had to do. Our pride is such that it put the Son of God on the cross.”
- “True humility, gospel-fueled humility, results from more than mere conviction or need: it results from personally receiving the provision of Christ as the remedy for that need.”
- “God has been to each of us like the father of the prodigal son—running to embrace us, welcoming us despite our shame, sparing no cost to celebrate our arrival. How could we ever boast again? How could we not be softened?”
- “The gospel fuels humility first by exposing our sins, but then by covering them.”
- “In your most foolish moment, you are tenderly loved by Christ. His love for you is greater than your shame or regret. In whatever place you feel the sting of ‘legal humiliation,’ in that poignant area of need—you are loved.”
- “If you are in a position of authority, you will become either a servant or a bully. Your authority will be experienced by others as either freedom or oppression, depending on whether it is marked by humility.”
- “You must strive to be unthreatened when those under your leadership outshine you.”
- “If you are a leader and you are not regularly feeling vulnerable because of how much authority you are giving away—how much trust you are placing in others—you are probably not leading with humility.”
- “Most people, most of the time, need encouragement.”
- “In the gospel, God has given you his very self. He is your portion. He is the great goal of your life. You will be with him in glory forever. And throughout all your days in this life, he is with you continually, guiding you, holding you by the hand.”
- “How happy is this thought: to be so captivated by Christ’s love that we’d rather talk about him than ourselves. Truly, there is joy in that place.”
