Humility

One of the qualities that I most seek in friends is humility. Perhaps this is just me wanting feel better about myself and not wanting to be intimidated. But I also think there is a special connection that is possible when two people are willing to learn from each other.

Unfortunately, wanting to be right is often more common than humility. This is understandable, since if I knew my view was wrong and yours was right then I would probably just change my view.

C.S. Lewis looks at the difficulty of achieving humility in a humorous light. In The Screwtape Letters the senior demon says,

"All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, “By jove! I’m being humble”, and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt—and so on, through as many stages as you please. But don’t try this too long, for fear you awake his sense of humor and proportion, in which case he will merely laugh at you and go to bed."

Despite the many obstacles to being humble, I will mention some examples of people achieving humility through service.

Leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been great examples of humility to me. Though they have authority over a certain group of people, they act as servants, both to Jesus Christ and to the people they are given charge of.

I have also seen people like my mom who keep serving even when what they do for their kids or others is not received graciously. Rather than spending resources on things that will increase social standing, she serves in ways that receive less worldly recognition.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He came to Earth to live as a mortal. He suffered persecution from those who should have been His friends, and He kept loving them and fulfilling the mission that His Father had given Him. I know that He came to earth and suffered everything that we suffer and that today He comforts and guides me.

I suppose that sometimes we need to stop worrying about our level of humility and just keep serving and loving as best we can, so don't study this blog quite as much as you study most of my blogs ; )