It’s Friday and Sunday’s Comin’!
“You may be right.”
I said those words and was greeted with teasing laughter this week.“Really?” was the response. “I may be right?!! You’ve never said that before!”
Ok. I admit it. I usually think I’m right. You probably think you’re usually right, too. I guess we’re wired that way — we assume that our personal perspectives or personal preferences are the right ones. I suppose it’s a basic part of that human survival instinct.
But our teasing conversation did make me stop and think about humility. Jesus points to humility as the route to the fullness of life. Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5,CEB). But what does he mean? Our culture is often at odds with humility because we misunderstand the word and see humility as a sign of weakness.
I found this description of humility in an article about teaching humility to children:
- Humility means being willing to learn.
- To be humble is to be curious about others.
- Humble people listen because they know they don’t know everything.
- To be humble is to always remember that God is bigger, smarter, and more powerful.
- Humility is believing what God says is more true than what you think.
- To be humble is to trust that what God says about you is right.*
The article went on to say: With this definition of humility, it becomes easier to see the benefits that humility has. Gone are the pitfalls of thinking too high or too low of yourself. You are free to be and to think about yourself less.*
In humility we think about ourselves less and where Jesus is leading us more.
It was a good reminder to me. I hope it is to you, too!
Blessings always,
Pastor Mary
