If only I had a little humility, I would be perfect. This quote by Ted Turner is the summary of how many people think, in a society that has become increasingly committed to independence, competition and success. As Christians, we are instructed to turn the other way and humble ourselves to the Lord. As Christian Americans, that is a pretty tough command to obey.
If you look up the definition of humble you will learn it can mean inferior to others, broken, and even shamed. It is clear that our society sees humility as a negative more than a positive.
I have puzzled long and hard over the paradox of how a loving God is okay with that.
Yet, the Bible is full of passages praising the humble.
For the proud will be humbled and the humble will be honored Luke 14:11.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth Matthew 5:5
Does God really not care if the world walks all over us? Should we let the world bully us unmercifully, content that we will have heavenly glory?
It is easier to understand when we realize that the word humble isn't used the same way as it used to be. If we try to interpret what God means based on our modern knowledge, we have a problem. But the Bible's interpretation is actually much more positive than that.
If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself. This is how The Message, a narrative progressive translation of the Bible records Luke 14:11. When you review it from that context, it is a lot easier to understand what Jesus is getting at.
I like what Archbishop William Temple said about the topic: Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all. This better explains to me what God is asking of us when he commands us to be humble.
God's intent is to get us to stop thinking selfishly about ourselves and to commit to His service instead. He doesn't want to see us bullied or pushed around by the world. He wants us to take pride in our gifts and abilities and use them in His glory.
If we choose to humble ourselves as God commands, we are free to let God be in control of the outcome and to just use our gifts and abilities the best that we can to His glory. What a great gift " to be able to do what we love without worrying about how to get ahead or to win at the game of life.
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 1 Peter 5: 6-7.
Sue Dickinson enjoys writing about life issues, parenting, and children from a Christian perspective. She is the editor of ForGodSoLovedGifts.com, a Christian Blog . Sue is also the founder of LittleLoveGifts.com, an on-line Christian gift store featuring exceptional Christian gifts for all occasions, many under .
Orignal From: Do I Have to Eat Humble Pie to Be Humble?
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