Humility is Ruining My Life
"Ugh. This book is positively ruining my life. In a good way, though," I lamented to a friend recently.
I had never even heard of Andrew Murray until May when a friend mentioned him in a conversation about Abiding. "ABIDE" happens to be my word for 2021, so I dutifully ordered the book and then promptly devoured it. Twice. (Three times if you count the devotional version.)
Murray, in case you are not yet familiar with him, was a writer, pastor, and South African missionary in the mid-late 1800's. And in case you are not yet familiar with me, I am a sucker for what one friend calls "long-dead, super-crunchy theologians." She isn't wrong. I like my theology meaty and it's been a while since the writing world was driven more by passion than publishers. I am drawn to the hard-hitting, gut-punching, less-flowers-more-transformation types, and Murray fits the bill. When I found out that he also writes on the topics of holiness, humility, and surrender (my trifecta of personal favorite faith topics,) I got swoony.
I am on my second read through Humility; The Journey Toward Holiness, and ugh. It is positively ruining my life. In a good way, though.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”
Andrew Murray
"The holiest will always be the humblest."
Andrew Murray
The one infallible test of our holiness with be our humility before God and others. Humility is the bloom and beauty of holiness.
Andrew Murray
If you are ready to explore Jesus' example and admonition of humility and desire to truly love others as He did, I highly recommend this book. It is short, pithy, and packs a powerful punch. As is the case with my favorite books, I have it in print and in this Kindle version.
For other resources on humility, read my article, Happy are the Humble, or watch me geek out about it on camera in the video, The Christian's Call to Vertical and Horizontal Humility, with my friend, Carrie Kittinger.
I would love to hear your thoughts! Have you read this book or any of Murray's other work? What should I read next?