What Humility Is and Is Not

[Laela]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel
January 30, 2012

Are you a humble person? I think humility has been given a bad rap, because the common idea is that humility is weakness, wimpiness, unassertive and feeble. But true humility is anything but that.

First, we need to distinguish between true humility and false humility. Titus 3:2 says we are to show true humility toward all people, not false humility. Have you ever met someone who acted very humble but somehow you just didn't feel it was sincere? That kind of false humility never impresses anyone, and gives humility a bad name. When we try to demonstrate our humility, then it's pretty certain we don't have it!

For example, refusing to accept compliments graciously is not real humility. Saying degrading things about ourselves is not a sign of humility. Refusing to accept reward*s or recognition for what we've accomplished is not a sign of humility.

When a person is truly humble, they don't think about it, talk about it, or even recognize it in themselves. It is a natural result of knowing God and understanding who you are in comparison to who God is.

Truly humble people are teachable. They don't have a "know-it-all" attitude. They recognize that they can learn from others and that they don't have all the answers. They are open to suggestions and constructive criticism.

Those characteristics are extremely useful in any environment, including a business environment. True humility is not something we practice on Sundays, it is an unconscious trait that is part of who we are. The person who is truly humble is one who gives respect to other people and does not have an arrogant or condescending attitude toward others. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians to consider others better than ourselves. In other words, true humility is when we continually remind ourselves of the importance of other people, when we try to daily practice compassion and have empathy for others.

I'm going to give you four clear characteristics of what true humility is and what it is not. The Bible says we are to humble ourselves before the Lord, and I want to help you see exactly what that means and how to do it.

 

[Shimmie]

I have my cup of tea and enjoying another message from Laela Rose...



These just bless my day.

And so do you

 

[Laela]

Enjoy your tea Shimmie... lol...this message is on-time for me, because last week the subject of gift-giving and rejection of gifts was heavy on my heart, because of what happened IRL with me....I wrestled with it.. is there humility in rejection or even in gift-giving? I had a heart-to-heart with DH, said a prayer about it and decided let it go to keep bitterness from creeping in. Today, I got this word on humility in my inbox, I laughed and decided to posted it because the light bulb came on. God wants us to be as giving as He is yet giving with the wrong motive/intention is harmful. It has to be on Purpose! I got it and a familiar Scripture brought new revelation. I love that Mary's lessons hit my inbox just when I need to 'hear'.

I am sometimes compelled to share, because someone could be going through the same process.

God bless you today, chica Stay inspired and inspirational always...

 

[Shimmie]

Enjoy your tea Shimmie... lol...this message is on-time for me, because last week the subject of gift-giving and rejection of gifts was heavy on my heart, because of what happened IRL with me....I wrestled with it.. is there humility in rejection or even in gift-giving? I had a heart-to-heart with DH, said a prayer about it and decided let it go to keep bitterness from creeping in. Today, I got this word on humility in my inbox, I laughed and decided to posted it because the light bulb came on. God wants us to be as giving as He is yet giving with the wrong motive/intention is harmful. It has to be on Purpose! I got it and a familiar Scripture brought new revelation. I love that Mary's lessons hit my inbox just when I need to 'hear'.

I am sometimes compelled to share, because someone could be going through the same process.

God bless you today, chica Stay inspired and inspirational always...

This is what stood out with me...

For example, refusing to accept compliments graciously is not real humility. Saying degrading things about ourselves is not a sign of humility. Refusing to accept reward*s or recognition for what we've accomplished is not a sign of humility.

When a person is truly humble, they don't think about it, talk about it, or even recognize it in themselves. It is a natural result of knowing God and understanding who you are in comparison to who God is.

Truly humble people are teachable. They don't have a "know-it-all" attitude. They recognize that they can learn from others and that they don't have all the answers. They are open to suggestions and constructive criticism.

At the bolded (1st paragraph), I agree with what 'Mary' is sharing here.

But doesn't it seem 'vain' when someone accepts an award or a compliment as if they 'deserve it' ?

 

[Laela]

Seems so..yes...

But doesn't it seem 'vain' when someone accepts an award or a compliment as if they 'deserve it' ?

 

[Laela]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel
January 31, 2012


I want to share some thoughts from Tom Holladay's book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus. He talks about how important humility is in all of our relationships, but we first have to understand God's meaning of true humility. Tom gives four basics and the first one is:

Humility is not thinking less of myself; it is thinking more of others.

In order to be truly humble, you don't have to neglect yourself or deny yourself or your gifts. Truly humble people simply spend more time thinking about others than about themselves. Andrew Murray put it this way: "The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all!"

Philippians 2:3-4 is a challenge:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Some years ago when I first started to take this passage seriously, I felt frustrated because I could not figure out how I would ever get to the place that I really thought others better than me. Honestly, that is a tough assignment, is it not? So, I prayed about it, asking God to show me how to put this principle into practice in my life. I knew it had to be a God-thing-something the Holy Spirit empowered me to do-because I could never do it on my own.

Then I looked at the words more closely, and realized it said I should "consider" others better than myself. I don't have to feel it; I just need to consider it. Other translations say esteem others better than yourself, count others more significant than yourself, regard others better than yourself. It means that you do this based not on your feelings or sentiment, but out of obedience and a set of your will.

One writer put it this way: As we esteem others better, we will naturally have a concern for their needs and concerns; this sort of outward looking mentality naturally leads to a unity among the people of God. If I am considering you above me, and you are considering me above you, a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on.

True humility is not thinking less of myself; it is thinking more of others. And the benefits are enormous.

 

[Laela]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel
February 1, 2012

What is true humility? Here's another indication of true humility from Tom Holladay's book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus:

Humility is not putting myself down; it is lifting God up.

Here's the thing: If you are constantly or frequently putting yourself down, you're drawing attention to yourself. And true humility does not focus on itself; it focuses on God and on others. I love the quote from Andrew Murray: "The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all!"

I've known people who can never accept a compliment. If you tell them they look good today, they insist they don't. If you compliment the way they did something, they will tell you how poorly they performed. They just cannot simply accept a compliment and say "Thank you!" so the person giving the compliment usually feels obligated to repeat it! It must be that they think they should not accept credit or compliments because that would mean they were proud. So, they just won't let you compliment them or say something nice.

But that is not a sign of true humility. It is not putting yourself down; it is lifting God up. I've tried to practice this when people are kind enough to say something nice about my ministry. My usual response is, "Thank you; that encourages me and I'm grateful."

I love the response that Corrie ten Boom gave Billy Graham many years ago when he asked her how she handled all the nice things people said to her after one of her presentations. She said, "Oh, Billy, I just gather them all up like a bouquet of flowers at the end of the day and give them to Jesus." That is true humility-not putting herself down, but lifting God up.

James 4:10 says "Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up." I encourage you to learn true humility. Don't put yourself down, just lift God up.[/COLOR]

 

[LoveisYou]

This is a great post Laela, someone once told me that refusing a gift/compliment in certain situations is akin to refusing a blessing. She said if God allows someone to bless you with a kind word or gift don't throw back the blessing, she argued that giving back the blessing usually has a root in pride.

 

[makeupgirl]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel
February 1, 2012

What is true humility? Here's another indication of true humility from Tom Holladay's book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus:

Humility is not putting myself down; it is lifting God up.

Here's the thing: If you are constantly or frequently putting yourself down, you're drawing attention to yourself. And true humility does not focus on itself; it focuses on God and on others. I love the quote from Andrew Murray: "The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all!"

I've known people who can never accept a compliment. If you tell them they look good today, they insist they don't. If you compliment the way they did something, they will tell you how poorly they performed. They just cannot simply accept a compliment and say "Thank you!" so the person giving the compliment usually feels obligated to repeat it! It must be that they think they should not accept credit or compliments because that would mean they were proud. So, they just won't let you compliment them or say something nice.

But that is not a sign of true humility. It is not putting yourself down; it is lifting God up. I've tried to practice this when people are kind enough to say something nice about my ministry. My usual response is, "Thank you; that encourages me and I'm grateful."

I love the response that Corrie ten Boom gave Billy Graham many years ago when he asked her how she handled all the nice things people said to her after one of her presentations. She said, "Oh, Billy, I just gather them all up like a bouquet of flowers at the end of the day and give them to Jesus." That is true humility-not putting herself down, but lifting God up.

James 4:10 says "Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up." I encourage you to learn true humility. Don't put yourself down, just lift God up.[/COLOR]

thank you for the lesson today Laela. It's definitely an eye opener to see if ourselves the way that God sees us. I'll admit that I have selfish tendercies and get worried that I'm being selfish, even when I'm not. I guess that's the Holy Spirit bringing it to my attention when I get in that selfish mode.

 

[Laela]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel
February 2, 2012

What is humility and what is not humility? True humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking more of others. It is not putting ourselves down; it is lifting God up. Those are two truths about humility. Here's another one, from The Relationship Principles of Jesus:

Humility is not denying my strengths; it is being openly honest about my weaknesses.

There is one question you can almost surely count on when you're going for a job interview: What is your greatest weakness? It seems to be a standard question to ask a potential employee. I think the idea behind that question must be that a truly mature person will certainly talk about their strengths and why they are qualified for the job, but they should also be realistic about their shortcomings.

God has gifted all of us with strengths and denying those strengths does not make us humble. That is simply denying God's goodness to us and in us. I actually have learned to appreciate the strengths God has given me, the things he enables me to do that have opened doors of service for me. My life is rich and full because I am doing the good things he purposed for me to do, as we read in Ephesians 2:10. But I am fully aware of the fact that the very strengths of my personality can become my greatest weaknesses, if they are out of control.

So, appreciate how God has created you. Look in the mirror and say, "Thank you, God, because you have created me. . ." and then fill in the blank. God intends for you and me to enjoy and appreciate his creativity in us. Whatever talents and abilities you have are gifts from God; therefore, we give God glory when we thank him for them.

And then be honest about what you need to work on. Pray about those areas of weakness. Maybe you find it difficult to be patient; that's one of my greatest weaknesses. So, admit it, pray about it, and let God empower you to be more patient. Maybe you have a lazy streak in you that causes you to waste time. Cough it up to the Lord, and pray he'll help you put that behind you. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and humility is not denying our strengths, but being openly honest about our weaknesses.

 

[Laela]

What Humility Is and Is Not
Written by Mary Whelchel

Did you know that being a truly humble person will improve your relationships on and off the job? And furthermore, if you're truly humble, you'll be much more contented and joyful.

You may not think of highly successful people as humble people, but if they are successful in their relationships, then no doubt they are displaying characteristics of a humble person. We've looked at Tom Holladay's description of true humilityfrom his book, The Relationship Principles of Jesus.

So far we've seen that:
Humility is not thinking less of myself; it is thinking more of others.
Humility is not putting myself down; it is lifting God up.
Humility is not denying my strengths; it is being openly honest about my weaknesses.

And here's one more:

Humility is seeing that without Christ I can do nothing, but in Christ I can do all things.

In John 15:5 Jesus said: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." And Paul wrote to the Philippians: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (4:13).

True humility comes to understand that as a believer and a Jesus-follower, I am totally dependent on his power in me to do anything of eternal significance. I can do nothing unless and until I'm abiding in the vine, Jesus Christ, and depending on his life to flow through me to others. But when his life is giving me strength, through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within each believer, then I am empowered to do everything that God has planned for me to do.

I encourage you to pray regularly that God will help you to humble yourself; help you to know what true humility looks like in your life, and help you to grow more and more in true humility.