A Reflection On Humility

My personal understanding of what it means to be humble has changed drastically over the last nine months. Historically, I have held the view that true humility is a denial of all praise, skill, ability and gifting I am told that I have by others. This denial has always been an honest one, out of a fear of feeling guilty for not embodying Humility as I perceived it to be. As I subconsciously seek acceptance and approval from others, this has been a difficult worldview to hold. I always knew something didn’t click with this belief, but I also didn't know the right way to view it.It wasn’t until I began to reflect on this definition of Humility that I really understood what it means to be humble:

A right understanding of ourselves and the world before God, in which we mourn the sin and brokenness in our lives and the lives of others, but also know ourselves to be called and empowered by God.

This definition illustrates a tension between awareness and acceptance of ability and weakness without boasting or holding an arrogant attitude. It did not surprise me to realize this tension as I believe that part of human flourishing means living in paradox and tension. As with the other virtues of compassion, hope and sabbath rest, Humility is a posture. It is an attitude. In order to show, one must embody it. The posture of a person is critical to who they are.

God has given me, just like you, a unique set of gifts, skills and abilities that is a reflection of who he is. To embody Humility then is to accept these gifts as a blessing and to use them to the glory of his name, not for my own ego or benefit.

For me, as I have begun to look at Humility rightly, it has been road to courage. Recognizing myself for who I am and have been created to be has been incredibly liberating. It has allowed me to do things I previously thought to be impossible. This however, will be a separate reflection that I will write another day.