When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Do you see the person you think you are? Or, are you looking at someone you do not know?
I went to a funeral recently where family and friends all seemed to remember their loved one with joy-filled, loving memories. Do we hope this is how we will be remembered? It makes us think about how we are living today. Do my thoughts, words, and actions accurately reflect how I hope to be known and remembered?
Humility is seeing ourselves honestly. It is seeing ourselves as truthfully as God sees us, in reality of our strengths, and our weaknesses, nothing more, nothing less.
Do I sometimes believe I am more than what I truly am? Do I need to have that last word? Want to be noticed? Appreciated? Consulted? The overestimation of my worth, or thinking too much about myself, is pride and it affects my judgment. God created us wonderfully and gave us great gifts, but when we lose perspective of truth, thinking we know more than others and God, we end up foolish and lost. We become focused on proving our worth, competing with others, trying to show others how we are smarter, more powerful, more…. St. Augustine said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils.”
Conversely, are there times I believe I am less than what I truly am? Do I reject compliments? Neglect my health? Fail to receive offers of prayer or love because “others need it more than me?” When we think we do not deserve praise, respect, time, or love that is rightfully ours, we are also failing to see ourselves truthfully. This is the lie that I am not worthy of the love of God.
Living in either extreme, in pride; or in the lie that I am not worthy, is a dead-end. We must strive to grow in self-knowledge of the truth about who we are! If we know and accept our identity, we are less likely to have distorted expectations about our life. In real humility, we thrive, loving and being loved. We know our gifts and our limitations, and they match the reality of our potential.
How do we go about self-discovery? We can ask God for the grace of humility – to know ourselves as He knows us: capable of greatness, worthy of love! You might be surprised by his generosity. God loves to love us and bless us abundantly. Living this truth is living a life of greatness! When we justly expect great things, great things happen! You may be occasionally surprised by God’s ways. Centuries ago, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways.” God will work in our lives in ways that reveal our need to be humbled. Though we do not like pain or suffering, we may be allowed to experience it, only to be drawn into the realization that we need God. There are many life experiences we cannot change and would not choose. These times reveal we are out of control, we need God. We can rely on the virtue of faith, rooted in humility, to get us through.
Our loving God, our Father, created us for love and greatness. He gives us free will to choose Him or not. Living a humble life in truth about who I am (a daughter of God, loved unconditionally) will keep me on the path that will allow me to respond to his invitation: “Return to me…”
Anyone who thinks of what he is, what he has been,
and what he can do of himself will find it difficult to be proud.
~Saint Claude de la Colombiere
Humility is not thinking less of yourself,
it’s thinking of yourself less. – Rick Warren
He must increase; I must decrease.
~ John 3:30
A few ways I practice humility:
https://everydayprayerco.com/blogs/news/the-litany-of-humility-free-pdf-download
https://www.goodcatholic.com/mother-teresa-humility-list/
…and a song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkYL1b7MCEw&authuser=0
Up next week: Spring cleaning of the best kind – decluttering my soul to make room for what matters most.
Disclaimer – I realize how little I know, and how much I need to learn. I’m trying to challenge myself and keep growing. Writing and sharing these reflections is a good challenge for me.