I Hope You Install Humility

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get frustrated with speakers when they preach on ambiguous ideas. Often, they will talk about what to do, but not how to do it. I find that they occasionally take for granted the fact that their audience knows the definition of basic "Sunday School" words. However, when knowledge of what a word means is lacking, the whole message can go up in smoke. One of these ambiguous ideas that I struggle with a lot is understanding the concept of humility. Pastors can base entire sermons on the verse Luke 14:11: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” That's a great verse, right? But how can you "humble yourself" if you aren't sure what the word means? If the word is even slightly misunderstood, the entire meaning of the sermon is, as well.   

What exactly is "humility"? Everyone seems to have a different idea. The word is understood as multiple ideas that have varying but significant differences. Some think that the word is an attribute of one who allows others to walk all over them, a "doormat". Some think that it means to think low of yourself, to put yourself in the lowest possible position. Some think it is simply seeing yourself for who you truly are. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "humility" is "the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humility), I believe that humility is a little bit of all of that, but I think it is more. True humility has many faces, and that is why it is so difficult to clearly define.

I think that Philippians 2: 3-11 defines it best: "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men..." Count others more significant than yourself. This means that humility is not only the way you see yourself, it is also (and perhaps more importantly) the way you view and treat others.

Jesus is the best example, of course, having given up his position as prince of heaven to come to this dirty place and follow his Father's plan to the end, knowing that all things work together for good for those who love Him (see I Hope You See Hope ). All truly great leaders have this virtue: humility, otherwise known as "leading by example". For some people it’s natural. Others need to consciously practice it. Either way, if this is an attribute that you have perfected or are working on, others will notice. They will be impressed. And they will want to follow your example.

In order to master this view of others, one must first master their own view of themselves. Simply stated, if you think of yourself as less than everyone else, humility will be an easy install into your day-to-day routine. If you tend to struggle with pride, thinking of yourself maybe more highly than you should, then this transition will be more difficult.

Focusing on serving is perhaps the best way to install humility. Letting someone ahead of you in line when you see they are in a hurry is an act of humility. Cleaning the bathroom of your office, even though you own the company, is an example of humility. The star of the basketball team could score a tremendous amount of baskets in any given game, but instead he takes lots of opportunities to pass the ball to his teammates so they can try to score as well. He is showing humility.

• Anne Hathaway turned in a strong performance in Les Miserables. In the movie, she sings a song called “I Dreamed A Dream.” This song is beautiful and is often sung to showcase a singer’s vocal talents. Rather than belt out the song in a way that would show how beautiful her voice is, Anne chose to sing it in as realistic a way as possible, which meant her voice did not sound as beautiful as it could. Singing it this way brought more believability to her character, even though it did not sound as beautiful as it could have.
• Even though Kate Middleton married into British royalty, she still likes to do her own grocery shopping and cooking.
• During a recent cross-country race in North Dakota, a runner carried an injured competitor across the finish line. Danielle LaNoue injured her patella only a few feet from the finish. Melanie Bailey encountered the fallen runner and stopped, though others ran past. Though she gave up her chance of winning the race, she helped the stranger across the finish line, and the two finished together. Now, they have become friends and constantly exchange Facebook messages.

When I read the stories of these people, I was, quite honestly, amazed. Anne Hathaway has a beautiful voice and yet she chose to show emotion over talent. Kate Middleton is a princess, for goodness sakes! If I was a princess, I think I'd probably have people do my shopping and cooking. So I could do more writing, of course.

I wish I was a princess.

Anyway, I was most impressed with the story of Danielle and Melanie. I'm sure that Melanie isn't the first runner to help a hurt competitor, and I'm sure that she won't be the last. But those stories always get me because they're real. They are real people - in this case, teenagers - defying the norm and going outside of their comfort zone to help others. I love that. I am inspired by these stories, especially when the people involved are young people. They don't fit the mold of the rebellious teen, the wild and careless. They care, and they show it. And they are a great example to follow if humility is something you struggle with.

Sometimes caring for others is not difficult. I like to babysit my cousins. They are fun to be around and I like to help my aunts out once in a while. I like to cook dinner for my family. These are times when caring comes easy. But what about the stranger, the homeless man you pass every day on your way to work? Maybe he makes you uncomfortable. Maybe you don't think he is safe. Still, buying him lunch, sitting and eating it with him would be an example of humility on your part. You can give up your pride and still be able to retain your dignity. Sometimes it's hard. But it's always the right choice.

C.S. Lewis put it this way: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less."  

So I hope you install humility into your daily routine. I hope you make it a habit. And I hope that you can use it as a tool to change the world around you.

 

Blessings until next time!