Humility
January 11, 2026 - Humility: Working Out Your Salvation With Awe
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Country singer Mac Davis made us all laugh with his tongue-in-cheek hit, "It's Hard to Be Humble": "Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day."
We chuckle at the absurdity, but if we're honest, don't we sometimes catch ourselves thinking the
same way? Maybe not about our looks, but about our abilities, our accomplishments, our spiritual maturity?
We've got this. We can handle it. We don't really need help.
The Apostle Paul had a very different message for the church at Philippi. He had just painted a stunning picture of Jesus Christ who chose the path of radical humility. And then Paul writes these challenging words: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (NSV).
Philippians 2:12-13 (The Message)
"What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning.
When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That’s because God is now at work in you, both to will and to work—that is, to prompt you to want what is good and to help you carry it through."
When I first read Philippians 2:12, to be honest, I was confused. Paul spent several verses describing the incredible humility of Christ, and now he's telling us to work out our salvation with "fear and trembling"? That didn't seem to fit.
Thankfully, Tari has been teaching us to dig deeper, to look at multiple translations and examine the original languages to understand what the biblical writers wrote. I went to the Greek to see what Paul wrote. The Greek word for "fear" is phobos (φόβος) and "trembling" is tromos (τρόμος). While these words can mean terror or panic, they also carry the meaning of awe, that overwhelming sense of reverence when you encounter something far greater than yourself. Scholars suggest this phrase works as what's called a hendiadys, where two words joined together express one, intensified idea: profound, reverent awe.
Think about the last time you stood at the edge of a mountain overlook, or watched the sun set over the ocean, or found yourself alone in the silence of a forest. There's that moment when you feel small, but in the best way. Your breath catches. Maybe you even tremble slightly. Not from fear of being harmed, but from the overwhelming sense of how vast and powerful nature is, and how small you are in comparison. You're awestruck.
That's the posture Paul is describing. This isn't about being terrified that God will punish you if you mess up. It’s about approaching your relationship with God with that same trembling wonder.
Application
So what does it actually mean to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling"? How do we live this out? Here's what it doesn't mean: It doesn't mean trying harder, working up more willpower, or white-knuckling your way through the life. It's not about perfecting yourself or proving yourself worthy. That's the opposite of humility.
The work Paul describes is the work of surrender. It's the daily, moment-by-moment choice to move yourself out of the center. It's recognizing that you ARE the church, God is already within you. The desire to serve, to love... that's already there because God is already there. The opportunities to live out your faith are already all around you. Our fears, excuses and self-focus block us.
Humility means acknowledging this honestly. When you do that, when you humble yourself and step aside, something remarkable can happen. Not as a transaction, not as a reward, but as a realization. The love that’s been there all along begins to flow. You recognize what was already true: your life IS God's presence. You're not separate from Him, waiting for Him to show up. He's already there.
This is what it means to approach your salvation with awe. We are not terrified of punishment. We are overwhelmed with wonder at the reality of who we are, the church, indwelt by God. Awestruck; this is love.
Closing
Several years ago, I was struggling with something God had been asking me to do, serving others, being available to help when needs arose. But I had excuses. Good ones, I thought. Fear, really, if I'm honest. I was at a gathering with some friends, and I found myself confessing this. I admitted that I had failed, that I felt like I was failing. It was humbling to say it.
Not more than thirty minutes after the meeting ended, I was helping clean up with my friend Rick. We were the last ones there. As we headed out the door to leave, a man approached us. He needed help. We offered what we could, chatted with him for some time, and then he went on his way. When I turned to Rick, I opened my mouth to say something; I couldn't. No words would come. Instead, I wept.
There's a dearth in our language to describe what I felt in that moment. Thirty minutes. That's all it had been from my expression of humility to an opportunity right in front of me. Not as a reward. Not because I'd earned it. But because when I finally got out of the way, what was already there, God's love, the desire to serve, the opportunity to help, could soar freely.
That's awe. That trembling wonder when I realize my life IS God's presence, and when I surrender and move from the center, love flows. That's what it means to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble... but I'm doing the best I can.