Humility

[That Dude]

So I've been reading up on this some and studying the bible about it some as well, and I came to the realization recently that many of our problems are because we lack humility. We are always to proud, to proud to let God take control, to proud to admit that we don't know everything, that our personal view of God may sometimes need improvement.

I honestly think that a lack of humility is one of the major causes of all our problems that we face and is also one of the most avoided/scary subjects that we can talk about. What are some of your thoughts about it?

Please do not start a flame war or anything. I just want to bring the necessity of humility to our minds and hopefully give myself a reminder that it's something that I personally need to be working on...And encouraging others to work on as well.

[Makachop^^128]

I agree, I think that is part of human nature to be prideful. We don't want others help especially from God. I think that's why people have such a hard time excepting God. We don't want to admit that their is something above us.

[Tsukuyomi]

I guess "too much pride" is something we all have inside of us... to an extent ^__^ It's one of those things we all can work at ^^ I'll admit, I have my moments and I"m sure others have seen it ^^ It's just something to work on and overcome ^__^

[TheSubtleDoctor]

C.S. Lewis holds that pride is the seed of every sin. At the heart of each sin is pride, and, if you think about it, all sins are different manifestations of pride. Pride was the first sin (not to be confused with what we call "original sin"), as Lucifer believed himself equal with God. I maintain that, when we sin, we are enacting our own version of that rebellion. We turn our wills away from God, believing that we know better/are better.

So, yeah; pride is tough to avoid. It is particularly difficult when it masks itself as humility. I am susceptible to this sort of thing. I struggle with believing myself to be irredeemable, with thinking that God can't forget/forgive things that I have done. While I maintain the holiness of God and my inability to meet His holy standard, I also am exercising my pride: my sin is so great that even God cannot forgive me. How proud! Christ's sacrifice would atone for 1,000 universes of beings' sins. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, if we confess.

when thinking about being humble, though, I find that some people take an extreme view. Being humble does not mean being a doormat. Human beings can't live health, stable lives in such a way, and "doormat-ery" can do lasting harm to you and those you care about. For example: if someone lets their spouse walk all over them, then they are allowing an unhealthy relationship to form which will rob their spouse and children of stability and happiness.

Christ is humility personified. The gospels provide a perfect portrait of humility: Christ is neither proud nor doormat. A key point, I think, is that He did not treat all situations in the same way. So, maybe being humble looks different from relationship to relationship, different from you towards a stranger than from you towards an acquaintance, than from you towards a family member. And, even in those relationships, acting in humility may look different from issue to issue, day to day. This is why we need to foster what St. Francis called a spirit of prayer.

[That Dude]

You're exactly right Doc, humility doesn't mean that you become a doormat like many people think. It actually is a source of strength, because it means that you are completely relying on Christ for your every need.

The more I practice true humility the more I see that I gain strength...Because I'm tapping into the source of true strength.

Another form of pride that I personally deal with is the fact that often I don't trust in Gods strength to deliver me from temptation. It angers me that I'm so stupid that I don't realize that not only God will find a way out for me, but he's pleased to do so.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I personally believe that the more time one spends in prayer and meditation (here is a link so you all don't think I am a kook...scroll down a bit), the easier it is to rely on Christ to help us in moments that we are tempted because we are invested in His message to us. It's like our mental responses change. I really believe the quote in my sig, that the human mind is effected by what it contemplates. The contemplation of objects of greatness elevates our souls, and what greater object to contemplate than Christ? People might think it is strange, but I have found that there is a direct, causal relationship between me consciously taking the time to orient myself towards Christ and how I respond to temptation. Trouble is, I get wound up in lots of other stuff, so I do not spend as much time n prayer/meditation as would benefit me. Room to grow!

[That Dude]

I personally believe that the more time one spends in prayer and meditation (here is a link so you all don't think I am a kook...scroll down a bit), the easier it is to rely on Christ to help us in moments that we are tempted because we are invested in His message to us. It's like our mental responses change. I really believe the quote in my sig, that the human mind is effected by what it contemplates. The contemplation of objects of greatness elevates our souls, and what greater object to contemplate than Christ? People might think it is strange, but I have found that there is a direct, causal relationship between me consciously taking the time to orient myself towards Christ and how I respond to temptation. Trouble is, I get wound up in lots of other stuff, so I do not spend as much time n prayer/meditation as would benefit me. Room to grow!

You said it perfectly Doc, the main reason why I fall into temptation is I let my personal interests (which aren't bad, but become bad when they take Christ's place) take precedence over my time in studying, prayer, and meditation on God's word.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

So, here is a question:

How does one apply the beattitudes (especially "turn the other cheek") to one's life without becoming an anxious, unhealthy, sack of pent-up feelings? How the heck did Ghandi do it?

[That Dude]

I'd say that we can't do it on our own. The only way is allowing Jesus to work through us.


(By the way I'm listening to that Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix album and it's great!)

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Often we're also proud in our humility. Finding how to truly act in humility is in itself a rather difficult task.

[Nate]

I lacked humility, until one day I was forced to run out of the locker room in high school into the crowded lobby in just my underwear. I had lots of humility that day!

Oh wait. That's humiliation, not humility.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Often we're also proud in our humility. Finding how to truly act in humility is in itself a rather difficult task.

Too true. Humility seems to be something that can only be grasped indirectly. If one is of the opinion that the motive behind an action is a constituent of the action itself, then it becomes truly impossible to act humbly and be motivated by some kind of (implicit or explicit) glory-mongering.

[Dante]

Finding how to truly act in humility is in itself a rather difficult task.

-Just aim and fire a bazooka at your self esteem... without any self-esteem or self-value, it's quite easy to be humble. Of course... that kind of hurts.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I often take on the position that as humans we are entitled to nothing. Not entitled to happiness. Not entitled to God's love. Not entitled to comforts in life. In this mindset, everything then becomes a blessing. Cause it is a blessing that God would be gracious and merciful enough to us to love us despite our brokenness and shortcomings.

And then the second step, of course, is to repeat such a love onto others. Unconditionally and without ceasing.

[That Dude]

I often take on the position that as humans we are entitled to nothing. Not entitled to happiness. Not entitled to God's love. Not entitled to comforts in life. In this mindset, everything then becomes a blessing. Cause it is a blessing that God would be gracious and merciful enough to us to love us despite our brokenness and shortcomings.

And then the second step, of course, is to repeat such a love onto others. Unconditionally and without ceasing.

Ryan, this is exactly the mindset that we need. Thanks for putting into words eloquently.