What is humility? Not everyone can answer this question unambiguously. Despite this, many consider humility to be the main virtue of a true Christian. It is this quality that the Lord values above all in a person.
Some may get the impression that the humility of a person leads to poverty, oppression, depression, poverty, disease. They humbly endure their current situation and hope for a better life in God's Kingdom. In fact, all this is far from humility. The Lord sends us difficulties not at all so that we put up with them, but so that we overcome them. Belittling one's own dignity, stupid humility, oppression and depression are rather signs of false humility.
And yet, what is humility?
Biblical humility. An example of humility
The Bible Encyclopedia says that humility is the exact opposite of pride. This virtue is considered one of the main ones in Christianity. The humility of a person lies in the fact that he relies on the mercy of the Lord in everything and clearly understands that withoutHe cannot achieve anything. A humble person never puts himself above others, with joy and gratitude accepts only what the Lord gives him, does not demand more than he is supposed to. The scriptures prescribe this virtue to all true followers of Christ. Jesus showed the highest degree of humility in total submission. For the sake of all mankind, He endured terrible suffering, humiliation and acquisitiveness. He was crucified, but after the resurrection, He did not even have the slightest resentment against those who did it, since He realized that all this was the providence of God. In other words, the Christian humility of a person is manifested in his complete dependence on the Lord and in a realistic view of his essence. As a result of this comes the true understanding that one should not think highly of oneself.
What is the essence of humility?
What is humility? This question is constantly asked of spiritual leaders. They, in turn, give different understandings of this definition, but the essence is the same for all. Some argue that humility consists in the fact that a person immediately forgets about the good deeds he has done. In other words, he does not take credit for the result. Others say that a humble person considers himself the ultimate sinner. Some say that humility is a mental acknowledgment of one's powerlessness. But these are far from complete definitions of the concept of “humility”. More precisely, we can say that this is a blessed state of the soul, a real gift from the Lord. Some sources speak of humility as a divine garment, inwhich the human soul has clothed. Humility is the mysterious power of grace. There is another definition of humility, which says that it is a joyful, but at the same time sad self-abasement of the soul before the Lord and other people. It is expressed by inner prayer and contemplation of one's sins, complete obedience to the Lord and diligent service to other people.
Humility in life gives a person joy, happiness and instills confidence in Divine support.
What is dependence on the Lord?
Two components in a person's life give an understanding of the concept of "humility". The first meaning is dependence on God. In what way does it manifest itself? The Scriptures give an example of the Lord calling a rich man a "fool." The legend says that once there was a rich man who had large stocks of grain and other goods. He strove to further expand his possibilities for greater savings, so that later he could only enjoy his we alth. But the Lord called him "a madman" because he chained his soul into the slavery of his we alth. The Lord told him what he would do with this accumulated, if today he loses his soul? A bad fate awaits those who accumulate good things for their own enjoyment, and not for the Lord. The modern situation of rich people is such that they want to enjoy their we alth undividedly, believing that they have achieved everything themselves, and that the Lord has nothing to do with it. These are real lunatics. No amount of we alth can save a person from difficulties, suffering and disease. The inner world of suchpeople completely empty, and they completely forgot about God.
Bible story
There is another story that teaches humility. One day the Lord offered a rich, pious young man to distribute all his we alth to the poor and go with Him in order to have real treasures in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the young man could not do this because of his attachment to property. And then Christ said that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. His disciples were amazed at this answer. After all, they sincerely believed that a person’s we alth is, on the contrary, God’s blessing. But Jesus said the opposite. The fact is that material prosperity is indeed a sign of the Lord's approval. But a person should not fall into dependence on his we alth. This quality is the exact opposite of humility.
Truthfulness to yourself
The power of humility increases if a person adequately evaluates himself and puts himself in the right position. In one of the verses of Holy Scripture, the Lord calls people not to think highly of themselves. It is necessary to think modestly about oneself, relying on the faith that the Lord has endowed all people with. In relation to others, one should not be philosophic and one should not dream of oneself.
Most often, a person looks at himself through the prism of his achievements, which automatically causes a manifestation of pride. Material measures such as money, education, position are not the means by which a person should evaluate himself. All this is far from speaking about the spiritual situation. You should know exactly whatpride deprives a person of all divine graces.
The Apostle Peter compares humility and a modest attitude towards oneself with beautiful clothes. He also says that the Lord does not recognize the proud, but endows the humble with His grace. The Scriptures mention the word “humility of mind,” which emphasizes modesty of thought. Those who ex alt themselves and think that they are something without connecting it with the Lord are in the strongest delusion.
Take everything as it is
Humility is the parent of responsibility. The heart of a humble person accepts any situation and responsibly tries to solve it. A person with humility is always aware of his Divine nature and remembers where and why he came to this planet. The humility of the soul means the complete acceptance of the Lord in one's heart and the realization of one's mission, which consists in continuous work on one's qualities. Humility helps a person sincerely serve the Lord and all living beings. A humble person sincerely believes that everything that happens in this world happens according to the Divine will. This understanding helps a person to always keep peace and tranquility in the soul.
In relation to others, a humble person never evaluates, compares, negates, or ignores the nature of another person. He accepts people for who they are. Full acceptance is a conscious and attentive attitude towards another. It is necessary to accept everything as it is not with the mind, but with the soul. The mind constantly evaluates and analyzes, and the soul is the eye of the Lord himself.
Humility andpatience - the concepts are very close to each other, but still have a different interpretation.
What is patience?
Throughout life, a person has to experience not only joyful experiences. Difficulties also come into his life, which must first be reconciled. Not always these difficulties can be overcome in a short time. For this, patience is needed. Humility and patience are the true virtues that the Lord Himself endows a person with. It is sometimes said that patience is necessary in order to contain negativity. But this is wrong. A patient person does not hold anything back, he simply accepts everything calmly and maintains clarity of mind even in the most difficult situations.
Jesus Christ Himself showed true patience. Also, Christ the Savior is a real example of true humility. For a higher purpose, He endured persecution and even crucifixion. Did he ever get angry, did he wish evil on anyone? No. Similarly, a person who follows the commandments of the Lord must meekly endure all the difficulties on his life path.
How does patience relate to humility?
What is humility and patience has been described above. Are these two concepts related? There is an inextricable link between patience and humility. Their essence is one. A person is at peace and inside he also feels peace and tranquility. This is not an external manifestation, but an internal one. It happens that outwardly a person seems calm and satisfied, but inside he is raging indignation, discontent and anger. In this case, there is no question of any humility and patience. Rather, it is hypocrisy. humble andnothing can stop a patient person. Even the greatest difficulties such a person overcomes easily. How two bird's wings are interconnected humility and patience. Without a humble state, it is impossible to endure hardships.
Internal and external signs of humility
The concept of “humility” is best revealed in the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian. It is not so easy to distinguish between the external and internal aspects of humility. Because one follows from the other. Everything begins with the inner life, the world within. External actions are only a reflection of the internal state. Of course, today you can see a lot of hypocrisy. When outwardly a person seems calm, but inside he has a raging passion. This is not about humility.
Internal signs of humility
- Meekness.
- Charged.
- Mercy.
- Chastity.
- Obedience.
- Patience.
- Fearlessness.
- Shame.
- Awe.
- Inner peace.
The last item is considered the main sign of humility. Inner peace is expressed in the fact that a person has no fear of life's difficulties, but there is confidence in God's grace, which will always protect him. A humble person does not know what fussiness, haste, confusion and confused thoughts are. There is always peace inside him. And even if the sky falls to the ground, a humble person will not even be afraid.
An important sign of inner humility can be called the voice of a person’s conscience,who tells him that the Lord and other people are not to blame for the failures and difficulties encountered on the path of life. When a person first of all makes claims against himself, this is real humility. Blaming others for your failures, or even worse than the Lord, is the height of ignorance and hardness of heart.
Outward signs of humility
- A truly humble person has no interest in various worldly comforts and amusements.
- He strives to get away from the noisy bustling place as soon as possible.
- A humble person is not interested in being in crowded places, at meetings, rallies, concerts and other public events.
- Solitude and silence are the main signs of humility. Such a person never enters into disputes and conflicts, does not throw unnecessary words and does not enter into meaningless conversations.
- Does not have external we alth and large property.
- Real humility is manifested in the fact that a person never talks about it and does not flaunt his position. He hides his wisdom from the whole world.
- Simple speech, lofty thinking.
- Doesn't see other people's shortcomings, but always sees everyone's good points.
- Not inclined to listen to what he doesn't like.
- Uncomplainingly endures insults and humiliation.
A humble person does not compare himself with anyone, but considers everyone better than himself.
