Necessary Humility - No. 35
Humility gets a bad wrap. Often, the way it is taught to us is a form of self-deprecation. Years ago, a friend of mine from Australia told me about “tall poppy syndrome.” It’s where some people criticize and undermine others who have accomplished something great or who are unusually talented. The idea is that they need to be “brought down to size.” Obviously, this isn’t healthy, and no one wants to be part of a community where people actively undermine those who start to stand out. However, much of our understanding of humility causes us to do this to ourselves. Often, our flawed understanding of humility causes us to shame and undermine ourselves in an effort to avoid sin and pride. Unknowingly, in the process, we cut ourselves off from the only path to true humility.
We have probably all heard the saying, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” That is undoubtedly a healthier perspective, but it still misses the underlying reality of humility and why it matters so much. Humility is right understanding of who we are in relationship to God and others. I can think of myself less often, but still see myself as the center of my world. When I start to understand that I am just a small part in a very large story, then I begin to see how big God is and how important others are. In other words, humility is the byproduct of seeing more clearly who other people are and ultimately who God is. We do not have to practice humility then; it’s a natural response to seeing God and His creation more fully. At that point, we can have the highest opinion and perspective possible of ourselves and still be living in humility because we simply recognize how special everyone else is, and that we aren’t more valuable than anyone. God is so overwhelmingly big and good that we can only be brought to our knees in awe and wonder.
Humility is a natural and healthy response to seeing and understanding even just a small part of God’s order (Natural Law - No.33). When we can see the glory of his creation and who He created others to be, we cannot be prideful of our meager accomplishments or talents. God’s love is overwhelming, His peace surpasses all understanding. The only way we can be arrogant and prideful in the light of God's creation is if we fail to see it clearly.
Arrogance is a byproduct of being distant from God and unable to recognize His glory. The only way a person can stand on a beach and not feel small in comparison to the ocean is if they fail to truly recognize its vastness and power. How can we stand before another person and be prideful? Only if we fail to actually see them. If, for a moment, we could actually view people the way God does, I am sure it would break all of our normal patterns of thinking. Our whole paradigm for life would be disrupted and transformed in a moment. So much of our thinking is a result of living in a vacuum built by our insecurities, pain, and fear. People talk about the echo chambers of social media and political groups, but what about the echo chambers of our own minds? We view the world through paradigms in our minds that block our ability to truly see and comprehend God, ourselves, and others. Self-protection, fear, insecurity, our shame, and wounding keep us from recognizing who He really is and, therefore, who we really are.
Our religion and beliefs about God shouldn't lead us into patterns of self-deprecation and shaming. Our sense of identity should not be based on our accomplishments or gifting. We must get our identity from God. He must show us how to view others and ourselves more clearly. Humility is simply the byproduct of seeing God and others as they truly are. Only a fool can think He is better than others. True humility allows us to celebrate who God made us to be without it becoming prideful and arrogant.
Societies tend to believe that the rich, smart, attractive, strong, athletic, connected, and powerful people are better than the poor, the weak, and every other version of “less than.” We have been baked in this way of thinking our whole lives. It’s natural to assume in our modern meritocracy that people’s worth and identity are connected to their gifting and achievements. What we cannot see, unless we ask God to reveal it to us, is how wrong this way of thinking is. In God’s order, these things are of no consequence. He chose David when he was the least impressive of his brothers and anointed him King. God led Gideon to whittle down his army to an abysmally small force. Joseph was a slave for years, and then God exalted him to the second-highest position in Egypt. Moses had a speech impediment, and God called on him to free a nation. Jesus chose unschooled, ordinary men and a sinful tax collector to be His disciples. Paul was an oppressor of Christians, and God called him to be one of the Gospel’s most influential leaders. The Bible is filled with stories of God choosing seemingly unqualified people for unimaginably important roles. In the Sermon on the Mount, He made it clear that what matters is our heart, not how well we stack up to the world's measures of success. Our culture is backwards in almost every way. Humility is a natural byproduct of seeing what's real and choosing to live as it is true.
Practice
If you want to see what I am talking about for yourself, I encourage you to ask God to open your eyes to see somebody in your life the way that He sees them. Maybe it's your spouse, co-worker, friend, or child. Or maybe it's someone you really struggled to love. Every time I've done this, I find that the small glimpse that God gives me changes how I see that person. I do not have to try to be humble when I actually see others clearly.
- John Walt
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