Book Review

Humility: True Greatness

by C. J. Mahaney

It’s a little intimidating to write a review of a book on humility. I mean, where do you begin? I decided, therefore, to start with myself, that is, to apply this truth to my own life, as did the author of his life, and C. J. Mahaney’s book is challenging, indeed.

This is the best contemporary book I’ve read in recent months. There’s no pop-psychology here, no feel-good clichés, no humanistic philosophy, no diluted Gospel, so if that’s what you prefer, you won’t enjoy this read. If, however, you want to be challenged about the destructiveness of pride and God’s hatred of this very “core of all sin” (as the author points out), then I encourage you to read this diagnostic book.

I would even humbly suggest a method for reading this book. While it’s actually quite short and a quick read, I urge you to resist reading it straight through. Its twelve brief chapters yield themselves nicely to a chapter a day approach, an exercise that will be of far more help to you than today’s popular so-called “40 days of purpose.” Instead of puffing you up and elevating your self-esteem, here is a book that confronts you with the sinfulness of self and the greatness of God.

In Part I, the author outlines the battle between humility and pride, demonstrating that pride is “when sinful humans aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him,” and that humility “is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.” Part II looks at our Savior and the secret of true greatness by demonstrating that the latter is “serving others for the glory of God.” In Part III, the longest section of the book (eight chapters), the author offers many practical suggestions and principles for practicing true humility. Some of those that struck me the most profoundly are: reflecting on the wonder of the cross, beginning each day acknowledging our need for God, and studying the attributes of God and the Doctrines of Grace (including the doctrine of sin). Those will, indeed, keep us humble.

As excellent as this book is, I dare to submit humbly that it could have been better. One of the characteristics of most books written today is a lack of Bible exposition. While there is some here, such as a wonderful study of Habakkuk, there could have been much more. I wish, for example, that the Greek words and historical concepts behind “pride” and “humility” had been examined, which is a key to good exposition. Additionally, while the many principles offered in Part III are good, several of them need more Biblical support. Several key verses on this issue were also surprisingly overlooked, such as: Mk. 8:34, II Tim. 3:1-5, Rom. 1:25, and I Jn. 2:16.

While I’m confident that the author knows that both “pride” and “self” are never, not once, used in a positive way in Scripture, I was disappointed that this point was not made clearly enough. A common teaching today is that there is “positive pride,” that we can, for example, be proud of our children when they do good, so I think it should have been made crystal clear that such attitudes are unbiblical because they lift up self instead of God alone. I also found the author’s thoughts on sports a little weak. While he rightly points out, as a “discerning fan,” that “sports heroes” are not “great” in God’s eyes, as they are in the world’s, I don’t think he goes quite far enough. There are few things in our society (if any) that elevate man’s pride as much as athletics.

Also, while I know it’s a popular teaching, I still have a problem with the notion that the lists of spiritual gifts recorded in Scripture are not exhaustive but are just a “sample” of the gifts that God gives, a view the author mentions in passing. The Bible simply doesn’t say that, and I find it a weakening of the sufficiency of Scripture that ultimately places the recognizing and defining of any other so-called gifts in man’s hands. Finally, while the author’s many quotations are excellent (among them John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, John Stott, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and others), footnotes are lacking on several of them (although this might be fixed in the published book; I read an advance copy).

In spite of those observations, I highly recommend this book with all my heart and mind. It was a deep blessing and pointed challenge to my own spiritual life, especially in one particular area where I admit to and struggle with pride. In a day when pride characterizes our personal lives and drives our entire culture, here is book that meets it head on and condemns it for the sin that it is. I encourage you to read it and meditate upon the principles it humbly offers.

Dr. J. D. Watson

Pastor-Teacher

Grace Bible Church

Meeker, CO

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