Humility and Boldness: Complimentary Christian Virtues

In this article I will consider the relationship between the character traits of humility and boldness in terms of Christian virtue ethics. It is a common view that humility and boldness are opposing character traits that are incompatible with one another. I will argue here that humility and boldness are indeed compatible with one another despite this commonly received view.

I will first consider the character trait of humility. It is unquestionably true that humility is a proper Christian virtue for a number of reasons. The first reason is our ontological dependence upon God the Father as creator of the universe and creator of us ourselves as individuals. Second, in our humility of spirit we yield sovereignty of our own lives to God the Father and to Christ as our Lord and Savior. Third, a spirit of humility is crucial in developing a Christlike nature as we emulate the selflessness of Jesus as he died and rose again for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. The list of reasons could go on, of course, but the point is somewhat incontrovertible that a spirit of humility is a crucial part of one's proper development as a follower of Jesus.

The character trait of boldness is less obviously a proper Christian virtue. Boldness of spirit is often taken to be associated with negative character traits such as arrogance and selfishness. However I advocate the view that a boldness of spirit is equally as important to being a Christian as humility of spirit. Choosing to be a follower of Jesus Christ requires various actions of boldness without which it would be impossible to be a genuine follower of Christ as opposed to someone who is nominally a Christian but who demonstrates none of the fruit of the spirit characteristic of a new life in Christ.

Numerous examples of boldness are to be discovered in the new testament itself. For example it took a boldness of character for Jesus's disciples to completely abandon their possessions and their old ways to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Throughout the acts of the Apostles and Paul's various epistles, one witnesses Paul's consistent boldness in furthering the message of Jesus despite persecution and imprisonment. The fact that eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred speaks to the necessity of boldness of spirit in the furthering of Christ's gospel.

But while biblical examples of boldness are in great supply, it is equally important for contemporary Christians to cultivate a boldness of spirit as a compliment to their Christian humility. While it takes humility to submit your heart to the will of God in one's life, to act on this submission requires boldness and strength. Suppose that through prayer one has discovered that God desires a change to take place in one's life. While it is true that a humility of spirit is what allows this revelation to have weight in one's life and priorities, it is the boldness to act on this conviction that allows God's sovereignty to bring about a genuine life change. This is in keeping with the view that God created man with free will, with the ability to orient himself towards or away from God at his own discretion. This was evident in the fall of man in Genesis when Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit (whether one takes this story literally or figuratively), and it is evident today as Christians who are able to embrace the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ or to reject it.

So as I see it, the character traits of humility and boldness are complimentary traits that work together to produce lives that are lived in accordance with God's will. However, there is a danger that such seemingly opposite character traits may fail to keep each other in check. If one lacks a spirit of humility in favor of excessive boldness, the result is a person who is arrogant, judgmental, selfish, etc. The boldness in such a person's life is used to further his/her own ends instead of God's ends. By contrast, if one lacks a spirit of boldness in favor of excessive humility, the result is a person who is incapable of acting in accordance with the very will of God to which they have submitted their spirit.

It is true that we as Christians ought to humble ourselves and recognize the need for forgiveness and salvation in our lives, but we should not in doing so make ourselves weak and inactive in furthering the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This last bit is extremely important, but it does not mean that we should use violence, force, judgment, etc. to further God's kingdom, for these traits are not in keeping with the spirit of Christ. Instead one should use relationship, love, forgiveness, and understanding to spread the Good News. It is equally important to note that this does not mean that one should be willing compromise our position that Christ is the one and only savior of the world without whom none shall see their creator. But it does mean that we should be mindful about the way in which humility and boldness work together is us to produce lives with which God will be well-pleased, both within ourselves and in our interactions with other believers and non-believers alike.