My Two-Cents on Being Humble

 

God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble 1st Peter 5:5

 

The LORD takes delight in his people he crowns the humble with salvation Psalm 149:4

 

To the main who pleases him God give; wisdom, knowledge, and happiness Ecclesiastes 2:26

 

This week has me thinking a lot about the word humble, both in my devotional readings and life…humbleness is something I struggle with…it is hard to be confident without coming across arrogant…and to be silent rather than saying something you are thinking…

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I’ve often prayed to be humbled…to understand humbleness…

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Tuesday we went to visit my father’s side of the family…we go about every six months to have lunch with my grandmother…this trip we also stopped by to visit two of my aunts…almost all of my father’s family live in his hometown…we have always lived an hour away…so have been detached from a lot of what goes on, along with the natural detachment that occurred because my father died eight years ago…

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I’m not sure if it is her age, but my grandmother drove me insane with her negativity and gossip…I don’t surround myself with people who gossip or who are really that negative and apparently my tolerance for that has gone down to about zero…it is just UNNECCESSARY, and hurtful to others! Who are we to shape what other people think of someone by sharing our negative thoughts about them to someone else?

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On the way home I was thinking about how being humble correlated with the day and I came to one conclusion I think is worth sharing…

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I think being Christians requires us to be approachable and available (a safe place for others to come and talk) as well as vulnerable…

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I’m thinking that maybe it requires

a lot of strength to be humble…

a lot of strength to not be pulled into the idea that we need to be more than ourselves

a lot of strength not be pulled into the idea that we are ENTITLED to be more than God has called us to be…

and that it takes a lot of strength not to allow yourself to be pulled into conversations that are hurtful…

there is a lot of pressure to engage in gossip when you are in the thick of it…I mean when we were at lunch with grandma, I simply had nothing to say, I felt rude being quiet, but I made a choice a while ago that silence was better than engaging in those situations…since I made the decision to be quiet when it is not positive to speak I, #1. don’t have as much to say and #2. the positivity level has gone up exponentially…

Lastly

I think it takes a lot of strength to not to use what power you have to cut someone down…

look at the definition of the word humble…

hum·ble

/ˈhʌmbəl, ˈʌm-/ [huhm-buhl, uhm-] adjective, -bler, -blest, verb, -bled, -bling.

–adjective

1. not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.

2. having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.

3. low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home.

4. courteously respectful:

5. low in height, level, etc.; small in size:

–verb (used with object)

6. to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase.

7. to destroy the independence, power, or will of.

8. to make meek: to humble one's heart.

it seems to me there is a lot of negativity in this definition

‘to lower in condition’ ‘to destroy the independence, power, or will of’ ‘having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience’

and there is a lot of power in negativity…I pray that I continue to reject the negative in my life and embrace the positive…that I take the time to see the other side to a situation…that I build up and not tear down…and that I keep close to the Father’s heart so my heart will mimic His beat…

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Not sure if I expressed right my thoughts or if they made any sense, I just wanted to throw out there what I’ve been thinking…

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Hope you are having a great week so far, mine has been uncharacteristically eventful and fun, I’ll share more later…