Be Humble

A recent sermon really struck a chord with me.  The sermon, “Honor or Humility”, was based on Luke Chapter 14, verses 7-14.  In this passage, Christ tells a parable about guests at a feast, and how one should not seek out the place of honor at the table for fear that the host may ask the guest to move to make way for someone more important. Likewise, someone who sits at a less important spot at the table may be asked to move to a more prestigious place.  The parable is a lesson in humility and Christ ends the parable by warning us, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

It seems that humility is in short supply these days.  How often do we see people, in order to achieve or maintain that “15 minutes of fame”, do something that is embarrassing or debasing?  There are plenty of stories of athletes who cheated to get ahead.  And if you look around, you will see lots of people with a “me-first” attitude, those who are driving aggressively or having loud cell phone conversations in restaurants.  As matter of fact, in today’s society you’ll have a hard time finding people who aren’t preoccupied with themselves or seeking attention.

What is humility and why should we be humble? Having humility doesn’t mean you have to feel bad about yourself or you must have a low self-opinion.  And it is not about feeling inferior; humility should not be confused with humiliation.  Humility is a true self-understanding; being able to make a realistic self-assessment without illusion or pretense.  If we are humble, then we can focus on honesty and realism.  And humility allows us to serve others, for their sake, instead of our own.

Participation awards and responding to demands for instant gratification certainly don’t breed humility.  In this society, where so many clamor for attention, achieving humility will be difficult.  I believe that much of the “good” people do in this world is not to help others, but is done so that people can feel good about themselves. How many write a check instead of donating their time?  We hear about helping the poor and underprivileged, and people advocating and voting for government programs to help those less fortunate.  Sure, you can feel good about yourself because you are helping.  But what about volunteering your time to help those people?   What if you actually gave of yourself?  I know,” it’s inconvenient” or “it’s difficult” or whatever excuse you can find why you can’t do it.  To be humble, give of yourself without expecting anything in return; something as simple as giving your undivided attention to a conversation with others and resisting the urge to lead the conversation.

Being humble does not mean we cannot be ambitious or self-confident.  But if our ambition is only to amass material things or to be the center of attention, what is our purpose once we achieve our goal?  Ask any movie star or company president if it is difficult to stay on top.  It can consume your life and in the end, fame is fleeting.  Perhaps, our ambitions should be more humble and less self-serving.   Who knows, maybe taking the path of humility will lead to less anxiety, fear, and depression?  There is joy to be had when serving others, to be unassuming or to grow the conversation without leading it.  You are likely to be welcomed at more tables if others don’t assume you will place yourself at the head of the table.

 

So reduce your stress and the stress of those around you.  Don’t try to be the loudest or most noticed person in the room.  Give your time to someone without expecting anything in return.  Be your true self without pretense.  Live in the moment without posturing for what may come next.  To reduce your stress and better the world, try a little humility.