5.13.2016

What is Humility?



What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "Humility"?
 For most people, the mental picture is somewhere along the lines of a person who has no self-esteem, yet thinks everyone is better than he is.  That is not that proper picture of humility at all but unfortunately, it is what a lot people, even Christians, believe.
So if that's not humility, then what is? The dictionary describes humility as

  •  --the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people : the quality or state of being humble 



Okay, so the dictionary says that humility is being humble, or not thinking that you are better than other people. But what exactly does that mean? Let's see what the Bible says about it.

Philippians 2:1-11 describes Jesus's example of humility in this way-

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11

Jesus provided us with the ultimate example of humility, as described in this passage. He, the Son of God, became human flesh to lay down His life for us!
 Humility is not not thinking  that you are worthless, it is thinking of others more than yourself.  And of course, when you think of other's needs first, you are thinking less of yourself. See how that works? 
When I first heard humility described that way, I was thinking "That makes perfect sense. Why have I never thought about it that way before?" This quote from C.S. Lewis sums it up perfectly:




I hope this encouraged you to think about what humility really means in a whole different way. One of my goals for this summer is to really put into practice the true meaning of humility. Will you join me? 


//Emily



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20 comments:

  1. Great post!

    http://thecountrygurl.blogspot.com

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  2. Awesome Emily! You have loads of wisdom to share with all of us. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Hannah. I know that I don't have "loads of wisdom" yet, as I am still learning so much myself from others more experienced than me! This is something that I just recently learned, and I am happy to share it. :)

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  3. I love this so much! I think humilty is SUCH a hard thing to do. Or be. Or have. *confusing* As humans we're all automatically self-centered. It's so easy for me to do selfish little things throughout my day so it makes my life easier. This is such a great reminder for thinking of other people. Thank you, Emily!

    // katie grace
    a writer's faith

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    1. Thank you so much, Katie Grace, for your comment! I agree, humility is such a hard thing to do, have, or be. *very confusing* And you're right, it is so easy to do all those "little things" for yourself, instead of others. That's one of my goals, to think of other's needs more than my own!

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  4. Thanks for this great post, Emily! I think if we are humble, it would solve a lot of our problems...like jealousy and fear of what people think of us. Thank you for the good reminder! =)

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    1. You're welcome, Hosanna! You are totally right about that. =)
      Thanks for commenting!

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  5. Dear Emily,
    This is a great post. I learned that being humble is not degrading yourself, but just thinking of others first, and not upholding yourself, but upholding and praising God. And the verse "Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others" is what I almost always think of when talking about being humble. However, it is hard to practice humility and I have been trying with God's help, to be more humble, especially with my family.

    God bless you as you seek Christ.
    Blessings in Christ,
    Ashley
    creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com
    ashleysyarnworks.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you so much, Ashley! That verse is a wonderful one to remember about humility as well. I'm glad someone else is working on it too! ;)

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  6. Yes! Humility is a character trait I really admire, so I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it! :) And good point that humility doesn't mean de-valueing ourselves..

    One of the hardest things I find about being humble, is it's so easy to become proud about how humble I am! (Which obviously isn't real humility anyway!)I think true humility is a gift from God: when we focus on Him, then we lose sight of ourselves.

    Anyway, like I said, I really appreciated this post, Emily! All the best with practicing true humility this summer, and thanks so much for following my blog, and leaving a lovely comment. Blessings!

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Jessica! You are right, it is so easy to become proud about being humble!
      Thank you for your kind words, and hope you have a blessed summer!

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  7. YES YES YES!!! I absolutely love that Lewis quote and use it all the time. And Philippians 2 is a go-to for me. You nailed the definition of humility on the head, but that challenge at the end. It is one thing to know what humility is and another thing to live it out. Thank you so much for the reminder and challenge, Emily. I needed it more than I know.

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Hannah! I am glad that others are working on humility as well. :)

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  8. Yesssss yes yes yes YES AND YES AGAIN. YES x 10000000.

    It's so important to remember that humility is not inferiority, but priority.

    Thank you for this post! <3

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    1. Thanks YOU so much for reading! All of you amazing reader's comments have been so encouraging. :)

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  9. HELLOOOO EMILY!! *enters with hugs and lots of waffles* I FOUND YOUR LOVELY BLOG EEEEP. <3 This post is sosososo awesomely true. AND GAH THE C.S. LEWIS QUOTE. It does sum up humility well, doesn't it? Jesus is our perfect example of how we should be treating everyone <3 beautifully written, Emily!! I'M TOTALLY INCOHERENT THIS MORNING.

    *slinks away* xD
    abbiee

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    1. WELL, HELLO ABBIEE! *waves and hands you more hugs and waffles* <3 Thank you so much for your comment! You are really sweet, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! I love that quote too--it's my new favorite. ;) Thank you for stopping by my blog! I'll be sure to check out yours soon. =)
      ~Emily

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  10. hey emily! i nominated you for the "text tag" on my blog, sincerely allie.

    Allie D.
    www.alliesblogdesigns.blogspot.com
    www.friendlovesatalltimes.blogspot.com
    www.sincerelyallied.blogspot.com
    www.spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com

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