Spring is coming, my friends! In this month when spring arrives on the calendar and tries really hard to get a foothold in the frozen ground in my corner of the US Northeast, we’re going to look at humility.
We have some pretty inaccurate views of what it means to be humble. In the first place, society seems to think it’s weak. But, it’s the opposite. The truly humble understand and accept their place in God’s bigger picture, and therefore need not fear any temporal thing, nor doubt their place.
A truly humble person doesn’t just not feel superior, he or she feels inferior to no one. No one.
Sometimes we have a backward view of humility. We think feeling bad about ourselves, and doubting our worth, are humble attitudes. One thing that trips us up when it comes to accepting a more positive view of ourselves is that it feels like pride.
But is accepting what God has to say about us pride?
No.
Recognizing our worth and accepting our calling are key to humility.
Read more about how recognizing your worth is key to humility in When You Find Yourself Asking… Am I Necessary?.
Humility isn’t about thinking small. It’s about thinking accurately.
It was interesting for me to get to know the Biblical heroes I’d learned sanitized stories of when I was a child. The Bible gives good and bad examples of how to please God and life in productive relationship with Him. Sometimes from the same life. As a bad start doesn’t doom one to a bad end, a good start doesn’t guarantee a good end… or a good middle.
Want to read more about the importance of the less-than-flattering bits of God’s faithfuls’ stories? Check out Getting to Know the People of the Bible
Aren’t the stories of restoration the most hopeful for those of us who know what’s right, but get sidetracked… sometimes by our very own brains?
So, humility… Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about it. Who do you think is the best example? After Jesus Christ Himself, of course. And if His example of the confidence and surety of humility doesn’t blow any misconception of humility as weak or unsure of itself out of you mind, well, I don’t know what will…
Listen When He Speaks
Humility is our Listen When He Speaks theme for March 2019.
What is Listen When He Speaks? A different type of Scripture reading and writing plan. Learn more here. You can also sign up here.
Already signed up? Download the latest 2019 list here.
So, what do you think? Do you think our concepts of humility are in line with examples from the Bible? How about Noah? Hmmm… Or the bad example of Jonah…
I would love to have you spark some conversation of what we’re reading over in the private Listen When He Speaks Facebook group. It’s been really quiet over there…