True humility is a lesser-trodden path. Within the world of music, it is an unfashionable and counter-cultural attitude. Many harbour the suspicion that it is impossible to maintain humility and be successful, that at times we must inevitably leave that path for the sake of our careers.
But God beckons us down this road. He is beckoning us not to the frustration of our music or the sacrifice of our careers but to goodness. Humility will enhance our lives as musicians.
This article is a short reflection on that goodness, briefly considering the motivation and nature of humility, before reflecting on some applications to musicians specifically. I hope and pray that as you read it, you will be led afresh towards the path of humility and the treasure that it brings.
Why seek humility?
Here are three clear reasons which the Bible gives us for seeking humility:
- Humility = wisdom
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
The path of humility is the path of wisdom. The two go hand in hand. God wants us to understand that choosing humility is choosing the better path in life.
That is not a guarantee that things will always go well - that is not how biblical wisdom works. Rather, God gives us principles that throughout time and across humanity guide us towards what is good. If you want to live well, pursue wisdom; pursue humility.
- Humility leads to honour
Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honour.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.”
The path of humility is the path towards honour. This is understandably counterintuitive! But we must remember that the world does not run at random. It is being governed by a sovereign God who sees and delights in humility. He wants us to know that the best way ultimately to find honour is not to try and extract it ourselves, but to pursue humility.
Again, this wisdom is a principle, not a neat rule: clearly many proud humans manage to make a name for themselves. Some experience downfall in this life, while others seem to escape. But God is clear that those who will be remembered as greatest in His kingdom and His eyes are those who pursue humility.
- Humility is the way of Jesus
In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…
The greatest reason to walk the path of humility is that it is the path that Jesus walked. As His disciples, we are to follow in His footsteps. He stooped down from the highest height to the lowest depth in order to serve us and to save us.
You can never out-humble Jesus, you can only do your best to imitate Him. Upon this path, you will inevitably stumble, but His supreme humility has paved the way for you to get up and go again. If you are a follower of Jesus - if you pursue Jesus - then pursue humility.
What is humility?
To learn what humility looks like, the Bible gives us plenty of examples to meditate upon, and perhaps even more of the inverse - pride - with its destructive consequences. For example, the narratives of 1 Samuel 1 to 2 Samuel 7 contrast carefully the pride of Saul with the humility and trust of David. Nebuchadnezzar’s fall and rise in Daniel is another obvious illustration. And of course in Jesus, we have the supreme example.
Tim Keller’s book, The Freedom Of Self-Forgetfulness, is a short but brilliant meditation on the apostle Paul’s discussion of pride in 1 Corinthians 3 & 4. Keller reasons that humility is not a permanently self-deprecating attitude, whereby we pretend we are rubbish at everything and shrink back from any kind of compliment. That is not what Jesus’s humility was like, and in fact is just a different flavour of self-obsession. Instead, he suggests:
Gospel-humility is not needing to think about myself. Not needing to connect things with myself. It is an end to thoughts such as, "I’m in this room with these people, does that make me look good? Do I want to be here?" True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self-forgetfulness. The blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings.
If pride is the unhealthy instinct that everything is about you, then humility is the slaying of that instinct. Pride tells us we are the centre of the universe, and that we should prioritise our own needs and desires. Humility tells us that we are not the centre of the universe, and we are far better off when we choose what prioritises others' best.
Humility as a musician
As musicians, true humility is counter-cultural and liberating. The path of humility is lined with flowers of joy. Self-forgetfulness (not self-deprecation) and the slaying of your pride will bring clarity and peace to your endeavours.
Humility brings a right view of ourselves. First and foremost, we listen to what God says about us, finding deep security in His love and purpose for us. Secondly, we are freed to weigh and respond to what others think about us - both positive and negative. We can receive the criticism of a maestro as genuine help, rather than an affront on our inherent value. We can receive the praise of trusted teachers as right recognition of hard work and of the gifts God has given us. We can consider the remarks of peers without becoming obsessive about them.
Humility restores to us joy in the music of others. When we are freed from the inner need to 'be the best', we can celebrate what others achieve. We enjoy the beauty of what they create without concern for how it compares to our own work. We can genuinely care for others and seek the best for their careers, even should they far surpass us.
Humility leads us to build our careers without the need to stamp on others. This is particularly counter-cultural. Of course there are times when your success might mean others miss out - not everyone can occupy the same seat in the orchestra! But we resist underhand tactics, and the desire for everyone else to fail. We do our best with the auditions and opportunities we are given, and accept the outcomes with grace (even if that grace is mixed with fair disappointment).
Humility transforms our self-promotion. The world of music is obsessed with self-promotion: often it seems as if musicians are more concerned with maximising recognition than actually maximising their ability. Clearly, self-promotion is necessary if you want to sustain a viable career. But humility transforms it. Firstly, in nature: humble self-promotion is fuelled by truth and substance, rather than the generation of an exaggerated persona. Humility enables us to make good assessments and reasonable claims about ourselves. If a critic has written a wonderful review of your work, then of course celebrate and use that! But if they have written a poor review, do not manipulate their words out of context. Secondly, humility transforms the goal of our self-promotion. We self-promote not to validate our ego, but to build our career. That is a vast difference.
Humility is a life-long calling. We are often tempted to think that great virtuosos have earned the right to be proud. Perhaps you will do very well, and reach great heights in your musical career. Yet the higher we rise, the larger our ego can swell - we become not more secure but less so, requiring even more fuel to sustain our bloated self-image. But we are called to humility, even to the end. Again, this does not mean denying our talents or achievements.
Humility means:
- maintaining the separation between our worth and our achievements;
- accepting praise without needing it;
- loving others and not trampling them;
- being honest about our weaknesses as well as our strengths;
- remembering that we are not the centre of the universe.
Conclusion
Humility is Jesus’s way, and it is the best way. He is ready and willing to transform us to be more like Him, unlocking the goodness that lies beyond. Though we fail, He is ready to forgive us and to show us the right way once more.
I hope that something of the beauty of this path has gripped you. May you choose it daily, and walk in its rich blessing.
