January Word of The Month: Humility

Dear lovely reader,

Happy New Year! May this new decade be full of blessings, peace, joy and grace in abundance to you and all your loved ones!

2020 means one thing and I’m sure you have heard it everywhere: 2020 vision.

Double blessings, double or unexpected success, clarity, double joy and so on. These are all great things and I hope this will be evident in all your lives. Some of us have created vision boards or listed goals. Some of us have not created resolutions and plan to carry on from how we were in 2019. New Year’s resolution list or not, as humans we all have this innate drive to do and be better. The root of all our goals is elevation. We all know that this world waits for no one and to reach a higher level requires steps and actions. Whether it is to pursue a healthier lifestyle, start a new job, attain higher grades or manifest your dreams.

Normally, the steps and actions we adopt tend to be centred on self (e.g. What are my dreams? What are my values? What am I good at? How can I aim high? How can I be disciplined?). Of course there is nothing wrong with this, as this often does lead to success.
However I think there is one action that society tends to forget in the build up to success.

Humility.

Humility is meekness, absence of self, lack of pride and lack of vanity.

Humility can also be considered as lowliness of mind meaning it starts within the heart and mind. A lot of us consider ourselves, friends and celebrities to be humble due to their outward demeanour. However, one’s heart may be full of arrogance and pride.

Pride is so dangerous because we cannot necessarily always see it within ourselves. The word of God states, “For as he thinks in his heart so is he”- Proverbs 23:7. Pride within our hearts and thoughts is completely opposite to lowliness of mind. “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” – Romans 12:3.

Why would humility be a key to elevation? This is where I note humility is not being a coward, weak or wimpy. Past and present people who were and are currently deemed as successful by this world’s standard mostly have one thing in common. They started from a low position, were unnoticed for their work for a long time or served others before having their big break.

This is the state of humility which brings elevation as Jesus said “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”- Mathew 23:12
It takes courage and boldness to put others before you. The easier route is to think of yourself first because that is the most natural action to our brains. Now this does not mean you completely neglect yourself and interests first as circumstances of life require this.

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; It is thinking of yourself less – Rick Warren

True humility in our hearts, minds and actions is of great reward and is pleasing in God’s eyes.

It results in honour (Proverbs 18:12), wisdom (Proverbs 11:2), everlasting peace (Psalm 37:11), grace (James 4:6) and makes you great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-4).

May we all make it a goal this year and daily to infuse our hearts with true humility so that “under God’s mighty hand, we will be exalted, elevated, honoured and lifted up in due time”- 1 Peter 5:6

Amen.

God bless you.

From Josie x