For so long I have had the image of myself as a humble person. I have always tried to not take credit for things, even when I would really like recognition. I am quiet at times when people would expect anger.
But I am learning that I am not really a humble man. God has given me a pretty mellow temperament. That combined with a shyness that I have been struggling against as long as I can remember make up a good amount of who I am. Humility really doesn't have much to do with it.
What humility I do have I am finding to be of a worldly nature. A humbleness that can look good, and good things can even be accomplished through it, but it is really based in pride which does no good for the one practicing it.
Real, true, or godly humility is different. There is nothing about it that points to people, or even yourself, to you or anyone else. It points straight and true to God the father. It can be seen in the example of Jesus throughout the Gospels. It is the Holy Spirit working through us and having a proper fear of God to not dare take glory from it or credit for it.
Humility is not a gift or temperament. It is a daily struggle, one of the many things that comes through our constant dying to self. It helps us to carry our cross as we learn that it is not really us, but the Christ Himself shouldering it for us. How dare we claim the changes in us that are wrought by Him!
In fact are not all of our talents or gifts given us by our Creator? Shall we use them as if we only have them because we worked hard to learn them, or because we feel that being endowed with them that it is natural to use them as we see fit and enjoy the consequences thereof?
Teach me o Lord and give me grace in the learning of Your humility.
No comments:
Post a Comment