Jesus, in Luke chapter 14:7 is teaching about humility. It would seem then that it can be a learned behavior. He even suggests we can choose to be humble. There certainly have been occasions when I have been humbled, sometimes when I didn’t even think I was trying to exalt myself. I’m also pretty sure being humble is not just being shy & introverted.
So here are a couple of questions.
• What does our culture think about humbleness?
• Will humbleness get you a good performance review at work?
• Why do you think Jesus wants us to be humble?
• Do you ever think about needing to increase your humility? Towards God too?
• Do you have enough examples to learn from?
I have had some reasons to think about this lately. Thought perhaps you have also.
I think humility and humbleness, since they are not the same word, do not mean exactly the same thing: they may be cousins, or even brothers, but not identical twins.
ReplyDeleteHumility resides at the balance point between pride and self-worthlessness. It is rather matter-of-fact, in a way.
From C.S.Lewis' The Silver Chair:
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to - to do anything if I come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.