I have lots of good memories from the various conferences I have been to through the years, but there is one that often stands out. I was one of many speakers at a counseling conference, and at some point, the speakers were invited to join together for a group activity. We were given the option: Join in the activity or just hang out and chat.
Most decided to participate in the activity, but three of us opted out. And so it was that I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours chatting with Ed Welch and Jeremy Pierre. I had never met Ed before and was struck by his kindness as he took time to deliberately thank and encourage me for some of my writing. He was kind, he was encouraging, and he was humble. It was a surprisingly significant time for me, and one I remember with fondness.
There are no perfectly humble men on this side of heaven, but there are some who, by God’s grace and Spirit-empowered effort, have achieved a good measure of it. I learned that day that Ed Welch is among them, and that’s why I am thankful he has written The Humility Project for Men: The Way to Strength, Honor, and Contentment. On the one hand, it is a simple book—a book that instructs men in the necessity, urgency, and beauty of humility. On the other hand, humility comes so hard to us that there is a lifetime of instruction within its pages.
Though humility may not seem like the most attractive of all topics, it is an absolute necessity for the man who wishes to model his character after Jesus Christ. “Humility is probably not your first choice of essential topics. A few weeks of practice in being lowly does not make anyone’s to-do list. But Scripture and the wise men who have gone before us tell a different story. They make their plea—our honor, strength, contentment, and rest depend on humility, as do all of our relationships. It is the door into all virtues, and its opposite—pride—brings us into all vices. The ancient sages urge you to enter in.”
The format is simple. The Humility Project for Men is divided into two parts, with the first focusing on humility before God and the second focusing on humility before others. It is written as a series of 42 daily readings, each of which can be read in just 10 or 15 minutes. The readings are accompanied by suggestions for deeper reflection, prayer, and discussion, for Welch believes growing in humility requires talking things through with both God and others.
Through it all, Welch shows that the good life—the best life we can lead on this side of glory—is a humble life, for no virtue is more beautiful than humility and no vice is more ugly than pride. The best gift we can give to those we love, those we lead, and those we interact with is a deep humility born out of a right assessment of who we are, who God is, and what he has accomplished on our behalf. It is only through humility that we can live with deep dependence upon God and great love for others. It is only through humility that we can be faithful imitators of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray this book helps many men discover, value, and put on this rarest and most precious of virtues.
