«The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel». Isaiah 29:19
IT’S NOT EASY at all to know if you are humble. We usually tend to associate humility with poverty, submission, or never boasting. But is that truly humility? I think what psychologist June Tangney proposes will help us have a clearer vision of this priceless Christian virtue. According to June, humility has six basic characteristics:
- Having a balanced sense of oneself (not too high and not too low)
- Being willing to acknowledge one’s own mistakes and limitations
- Being open to new ideas
- Keeping one’s own achievements and abilities in perspective
- Having relatively low focus on oneself
- Being able to appreciate different perspectives*
Here we have a broader perspective of what it means to be humble. I even think these six characteristics of humility are also a guide to genuine happiness. In fact, it’s what Jesus proposed: humility brings happiness.
When a multitude was with Him on the mount, Matthew says that only the «disciples gathered around Him» (Matthew 5:1, NLT). «Gathering» around to hear Jesus always exposes us to a change in our ethics, in our worldview, and of course in our soul. That’s why many prefer to listen from afar, without making any commitment, so their comfort zone will not be threatened. Coming to Jesus places us face to face with teachings that reduce selfish human logics to nothing. To those who gather near, Jesus says, «God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth» (Matthew 5:5, NLT). Humility is needed to allow ourselves to be transformed; but that transformation in Jesus’s hands is a blessing.
Being humble is a proposal of blessing to ourselves and those around us. The arrogance of a society of knowledge, a society of the «great self,» with its materialistic vision, does not allow us to make out the Master’s offer clearly. Happiness is found in humility, because God «will save the humble person» (Job 22:29), because «the humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord» (Isaiah 29:19), because Jesus is like that, «gentle and humble in heart» (Matthew 11:29, NIV), because those who are humble «will inherit the earth.»
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
