allow others to shine, Appeasement, Christ, esteemed by others, getting their own way, God, Holy Spirit, Humility, Jesus, Lord,
If asked, most people would certainly consider themselves humble. Very few would admit to being proud or even arrogant. But, is that really true? We looked into what it truly meant to be humble. Many often think of being humble as being meek, having a humble background, being modest or even accepting less than pleasant treatment from others, but being humble is not being stepped over. It involves more than many people think.
Humility precedes exaltation
To explain what humility is, we would like you to imagine jumping. If you want to jump, you first have to crouch. And the lower you crouch, the higher you can jump. That is what humility does; it precedes exaltation. If you want to be a person who is highly esteemed by others, you need to humble yourself, the key word being ‘yourself’. Many endure being humbled by others or life’s situations, but this is not the kind of humbleness that will lead to exaltation. The humility that is most valuable is when you have an opportunity to exalt yourself, but you forfeit that right. However, humility should not be confused with humiliation, which means being shamed or dishonoured.
How exactly can you humble yourself?
It is simpler than you think. It is when you choose to value other people more than yourself. When you back down during an argument, even though you know you are right; when you choose to allow others to shine, when you know you can easily outshine them; when you choose to bite your tongue, when you know your harsh words could easily disarm the person you are arguing with; when you choose not to suffer in silence and try to be self-sufficient and seek help from others when you need it.
Those who choose to humble themselves prove that they value themselves and the wellbeing of their relationships more than they value being right or getting their own way.
It is this value that they place in their relationships that makes them highly esteemed. People who are humble make others around them feel good and important. And, who wants to let go of someone who makes them feel special?
Many times we think that in order to be respected and stand our ground, we need to impose our ourselves and our opinions on others, so that they know not to cross us. But esteem and respect are earned and inspired in others. When someone gives you their respect voluntarily, it has much more value and naturally, they receive it back in return.
Unlike what many think, that choosing to humble will only bring loss, we see that it will in fact lead you to enjoy relationships that are richer and more valuable. So, next time you have to bite your tongue, for example, think of it as the crouching down that’s necessary before a big jump. After that, exaltation and justification will come.
Mrs Claudia Brito
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