Okay so I am going to take a slightly different approach to these blogs. Instead of reflecting on the passage, I want to take a back seat and see what you feel about the topic. So in the passage this week (Philippians 2:5-11) we see this calling to have the same attitude as Christ. In my previous reflection (see past post) I felt like this was a pretty daunting task. The virtue of humility really stands out to me as I look at character of Jesus. This leads me to the following questions. I am eager to learn from you and your understanding of this passage as it relates to your life.
1. How would you define humility?
2. How do/could you demonstrate humility in the work place or school?
3. What does humility look like in your marriage or in the friendships you have?
1. How would you define humility?
2. How do/could you demonstrate humility in the work place or school?
3. What does humility look like in your marriage or in the friendships you have?
1. To me, humility means not living your life for yourself, but for God. He should be at the center of your actions and decisions, guiding your life. Humility is accepting God's will and not trying to rise above it, but instead do one's best to carry it out. It means to remember Jesus' sacrifice to us, and to wonder if any sin we do is really worth damaging the love God has for us.
2. In school, one can demonstrate humility by always trying to do the right thing. Being nice to people who don't have many friends or talking to people about Christ are just two ways of putting one's own image below God's will.
3. In a deep friendship, humility means caring as much about your friend as yourself. By no longer prioritizing one's own needs significantly higher than another's, you are humble by your love for God and others.
I think one aspect of humility is the understanding that we are all created equal. Yes, some might be born into money or fame while others begin in poverty, some might be more beautiful on the outside than others, some might be more athletically gifted than others, and some may work hard and achieve more than the next person. But we are all equal in God’s eyes. We are all deserving of his love. I think those that are humble recognize this and tend not to be overly prideful or power-seeking - because they don't view themselves as superior. From a spiritual standpoint, I think the root of this humbleness is from knowing that we are all incomplete without Christ in our lives. The healing service last night caused me to reflect on how needy I am of God’s grace – how broken I am without him – and that is very humbling. I noticed many people had tears in their eyes, and I knew they experienced the same emotions I did.
In most organizations, there is a hierarchy. For many tasks and decisions, the hierarchy is important – it helps leverage the time of those that are best positioned (because of experience, education, knowledge, relationships, etc.) to make the company successful. I think the best way to demonstrate humility in the workplace is to treat everyone with respect, regardless of position. Too often, people with seniority tend to “talk down” to those in lower positions, use them as scapegoats, make them do a trivial chore, not because it will save them time, but simply because they are “above that”. They are demeaning and patronizing. In my company, we only have titles for external purposes (client impression) – internally we all do whatever it takes to get a job done. We treat people with dignity, respect, and fairness, and in return we have very loyal employees.
Whether it is in a marriage or in a close friendship, I think humility is experienced in a number of ways, but most importantly, I think it is shown by being able to share your fears and weaknesses – to admit your shortcomings. To be comfortable in letting someone see inside your soul so that they can understand you and help you. That is a very hard thing for most of us to do with anyone but God.