The Blessing of Humility

I wonder if The Blessing of Humility is Jerry Bridges’ final book. It was published posthumously, but soon enough after his death that it’s very possible there was still another work somewhere in the editing process. Either way, a book on humility would make a fitting final work for a man who taught and exemplified that very virtue. "The character trait of humility is the second-most frequently taught trait in the New Testament, second only to love. At one time I counted fifty instances of love taught, either by precept or example, in the New Testament; I counted forty instances of humility. I regard these two traits as the foundational stones of Christian character. All other character traits, in one way or another, are built upon love and humility. Yet we so seldom hear any message or read any books on these two subjects. I think this is because they are so intimidating to us. Any honest Bible teacher, whether in speaking or in writing, realizes how far short he or she comes to exemplifying either of these character traits, so there is a reluctance to teach on a subject where one has made so little progress." This is understandable, of course, even if it is not excusable. It is difficult to teach with confidence and authority in an area where the teacher is so aware of his failings and shortcomings. And yet humility is the king of virtues and one every Christian must pursue. At some point every teacher or preacher owes it to himself and his students or congregation to research, teach, and full-out pursue it. Bridges insists “A life of humility is not an option for a believer to choose or reject. It is a command of God.” To teach the beauty and value of humility as well as to start on down the path toward humility he turns to the Beatitudes saying, “these expressions of Christian character are a description of humility in action.” In other words, when Jesus taught how to live before God and before man, he was teaching how to live with humility. He goes on: “I can guarantee you that if you are honest with yourself and you let the Beatitudes search you, you will see yourself to be a greater sinner than you thought yourself to be.” This is true. But, of course, as he does in every one of his books, Bridges points constantly to the centrality of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. In this way the purpose of the book is not to leave the sinner wallowing in his sin, but to give him the tools to help him change and to give him the confidence that God is eager and willing to help him change. This is not a “you can do it!” and “try harder!” kind of book, but a book that is deeply reliant on the work of the gospel and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. There can be no true humility without these. The heart of the book is 8 strong chapters, each of which addresses one of the Beatitudes. Bridges shows that the truly humble person is poor in spirit, mourns over his or her sin, is meek toward God and other people, hungers and thirsts for righteousness, is merciful toward other people, is pure in heart, is a peacemaker, and considers himself or herself blessed when persecuted or reviled for righteousness’ sake. This is an intimidating list of virtues that none of us will ever perfectly attain to on this side of the grave. Yet the formidable list is also a profound challenge for we can have confidence that it is God’s joy to give us these in greater measure as we pursue him through his Word. It is God’s joy to have us imitate his Son who was ultimately and beautifully humble. Those who have read Bridges in the past will not be surprised to know that the final chapter is titled “Humility and the Gospel” and here Bridges shows that our humility can never surpass our understanding of the gospel and our reliance upon it. “If you have honestly evaluated yourself in the light of the eight character traits in the Beatitudes, you have probably seen yourself to be a worse sinner than you thought. You might even want to join the apostle Paul as the foremost of sinners. If that is your self-evaluation, you are in a good place. That is a sign that you also are growing in humility. What is it, though, that will keep us from becoming discouraged as we become more and more aware of the sin that still dwells within us? The answer is the gospel.” Indeed, it is. And while humility is the theme of the book, it is never once separated from the precious gospel. Bridges wants his readers to understand that “Humility is not an optional add-on for the super-spiritual; it is for all believers to practice in our daily lives.” The one who reads this book will inevitably be convinced of the beauty of humility, convicted of his lack of humility, and encouraged that God loves to help his people grow in this most precious of virtues. The Blessing of Humility is a sweet little book that will lay down the challenge and point the reader toward the solution. In the opening pages Bridges says, “This book can be read completely in about two hours or less. You may want to do that to get an overview of the book. However, the real value of this book will come as you then read each chapter reflectively and prayerfully. Ask God to help you see yourself as you really are in the light of each of the character traits covered in the eight Beatitudes. And then ask God to help you grow in the areas where you see yourself to be most needy.” Do it just like that. Read it and consider reading it with a group of friends. You will benefit, they will benefit, and everyone around you will benefit.

This book is helpful for Christians at any point in their life, although it was especially appropriate for me when I read it these past few weeks. Some events have had potential to leave me feel shaken, but my continual prayer, family support, and reading this book helped me see life through hopeful, more Godly eyes! Jerry Bridges explains what humility is, what the Bible says about it, and different ways we can exhibit humility in a fallen world. Some reviewers have expressed their disappointment that the book centered on the Beatitudes rather than humility. I was not disappointed, because - as Bridges explains to us - the Beatitudes talk about traits that stem from humility. I found it very interesting in how he went through each Beatitude and I learned to see some of them through a different perspective than how I previously saw them. He cites many Scripture passages and also brings in personal experience and his friends' stories that all center on humility. In the back of the book, there are discussion questions for each chapter that can be used for a group study or personal devotion (the questions get you thinking). I highly recommend to pastors, men/women/youth groups, and any other Christian as humility is one of the many essential traits towards which we need to strive. As Bridges mentioned, it is not often preached on or talked about, so this book is a great one for those seeking to read more on the subject.

I was introduced to Jerry Bridge’s book, Trusting God, last year. My walk with my Lord Jesus Christ will never be the same! This was like “rocket fuel” to my spiritual growth! I am continuing to use his books to grow in my understanding of God & have also been using them in my small group studies. The length, his personal experiences & the study questions are perfect in our fast pace lives.

I am a college student that reads often, especially books focused on Christianity through groups at church, and I am currently reading this book, The Blessing of Humility. It is about the Beatitudes, found in the Book of Matthew, and discusses what we can learn about humility from that. This book is short and sweet, which makes it ideal for both people who read often, and those who don’t. It is definitely designed to reach a wide audience. I am using it in a small group right now as a college student, but the book is perfect for anyone from teenage years through adulthood. I was looking for a book that was relatable, that had something to teach me, and a book that was going to keep me engaged. Blessing of Humility accomplished all of those things. This book is great because of the short length and the depth of the content, which requires time to absorb and reflect on for understanding. This allows us to read through the book slowly to get all that we can out of it. There is a discussion guide included in the back of the book to help spark conversation among peers while discussing the readings and to help readers understand the content. That is one feature that I find very helpful and that will be great for any future buyer. On top of that, the cover of the book is beautiful and draws in the reader! I evaluated this product based on content, design, and use in a group context. The content seemed to be interesting and something that I could learn from; the design was very appealing, and they included a discussion guide that is great for reading the book alongside other people. This book is worth spending the money on. It is only $8 which is a great price for a book that you can easily study with other people! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something to read and grow from.

This was my first Jerry Bridges book and it won't be my last. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my friends over coffee, maybe even do a summer group study using Mr. Bridges book.

I cannot imagine a more appropriate author to write a book on humility than Jerry Bridges. He has written some of the most influential and widely-received books in Christian publishing, each with a trademark Bridges style--a deeply practical style, saturated in the Gospel, and consistently humble. The Blessing of Humility (2016, Navpress) does not disappoint. At a short 95 pages, The Blessing of Humility uses the beatitudes as a launch-pad for exploring humility. Quite honestly, I would never have made the connections between the beatitudes and humility that Bridges did, but I believe he is correct. He describes them as "humility in action." There are several good books on humility (and, of course, CS Lewis' chapter in Mere Christianity) and this is a welcome addition. If you are interested, may I humbly recommend this excellent little book.

The chapters are very doable. The subject on Humility is very important to remember that God blesses the humble. The chapters are based on the Beatitudes.

Honest approach; down to earth speech & advice…