I read these words in a fascinating letter today: "And y'all must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" They actually come from a rather old letter that we now call 1 Peter - the words are ancient and profoundly relevant. Since I believe humility and honesty are the cardinal virtues in the authentic Christian life...I began wondering what it means to be clothed with humility?St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century said that humility "consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one's superior" (Summa Contra Gent., bk. IV, ch. lv, tr. Rickaby). This seems to indicate more a recognition of our own finitude and acceptance of our place within the created order. The article in Wikipedia goes on to further emphasize this sense of the word by clarifying humility in this way - "Humility comprises the following behaviors and attitudes:
- submission to God and legitimate authority;
- recognition of the virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those which surpass one's own, and giving due honor and, when required, obeisance;
- recognition of the limits of one's talents, ability, or authority; and, not reaching for that which is beyond one's grasp" (wikipedia.org)
This certainly elucidates something of what we're trying to communicate when we say "humility." However, I think there just might be more to it. A full orbed understanding of humility is only understood in light of a real encounter with Christ. He is the definition of humility - apart from Him we only have a fragmented understanding, which ironically is a word that should point us toward humility - that is "understanding" comes as we "stand under" the influence or authority of some object.
Humility is the Creator and Lord of the universe washing His followers feet. Humility is the Son of Man coming not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Humility is being in the form of God, but not considering equality with God something to be grasped after, but rather emptying Himself becoming a slave obedient all the way to death. Humility isn't a concept - it is a Person and a way of life. Maybe clothing ourselves with humility is the same as clothing ourselves with Christ - that may not really clear things up, but it engages us in the journey.
This way of life opens us up to receive the gifts of God and to walk in a trusting relationship with Him. It opens us up to have genuine relationships with each other...to experience true community. Given the brokenness of this world, our communities, our churches, our families and our lives - I'm not sure that we've gotten this humility thing down yet. At least, I know that I haven't. It requires a radical change in our mindset and because of grace I believe it becomes an impossible possibility for us. May we follow the foot washing, life giving example of Christ today, opening us up to receive the Giving Gift and experience the blessed life.
Until next time - Blessings in Christ ~ RLS
2 comments:
I still read (at least most of it) also. Different Subject: How do you stay motivated to help people when you think they continue to make bad decisions.
That's a really good question. I don't know that I have an adequate answer, but I usually begin thinking about the many bad decisions that I've made in my life - and the fact that God continued to be active and present in my life all along the way. If He has that kind of patience with me...then I should attempt the same with others. It really isn't easy, though, I have to release control.
We also have to be discerning...that in our helping we are not enabling destructive behavior. There is a point at which we can become part of the problem - if that is the case then we need to "get out of the way" to facilitate change and healing. We can't force others to make "good" decisions, nor do we always know what those "good" decisions might be for them (it is usually easier to recognize bad decisions).
So in humility we take our place along side them...recognizing our own faults, realizing their free choice, while walking with them, encouraging them to reach their full potential through God's power. We also have to recognize that only God can change them. He may use us as a tool in that process, but God's the only one that can change our hearts and give us a right motivation. So we pray for them regularly and release them into God's care - our role is simply to point them to Christ and let the Spirit do the changing and rearranging.
I don't know if that helps you, Bart, but that's what usually helps me to stay faithful, even when I think someone is really messing things up. We need to continually "speak the truth in love" with the emphasis on the "in love" part and the realization that Christ is "the Truth."
Thanks for bringing up the question. Blessings ~ RLS
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