Humility I

I think that humility is a widely misunderstood virtue. The word itself comes from the Latin word “humus” meaning ground or earth. But humility does not mean groveling in the earth, demeaning ourselves, or putting ourselves down. It means being solidly rooted in a knowledge of who we are and living that truth.

Humility does not mean that we cannot be proud of our accomplishments, especially those accomplishments that take a lot of work and preparation and execution and resilience. We should be proud of such things.

One of the words that comes up frequently in the Scriptures and in our prayer is the word “Praise.” We give praise to God. What exactly does “praise” mean, and how does it affect our life? I once heard someone describe praise as realizing that there is a God, and it’s not you. There is a God, and it’s not you.

I think that’s a good way to understand humility. There is a God, and it’s not you. It’s about accepting the truth or the truths about our existence. (Continued…)