Humility

Today's Inspiration:
"The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against someone higher who will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is." - Phillips Brooks

Humility is a concept often misinterpreted. When we here that the meek will inherit the earth, that we are called to be humble, and that we should turn the other cheek we often think that we are called upon to be a carpet. We begin to think that we should allow others to treat us in any way that they choose and that we should smile and thank them for their time. I am not convinced that this is the humility, and meekness that Jesus spoke of.

Our fear of God and humility come from nothing more or less then an understanding of who God is. Our minds are incapable of understanding him in whole, but even glimpsing the small fraction of his being that our fragile selves can comprehend we see that he is sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, righteous. He created the world by simply speaking, and brought about life through his very breath. He could crush the entire planet between his fingers, or rain down fire with a mere though. And yet, he doesn't He is love and grace, and His deepest desire is to know you and for you to know Him. If that isn't enough to make you humble, then I do not know what is.

Now, once again, this not groveling, 'I am worthless,' sort of humility. Through this relationship that we are called to aspire to, God gifts us with talents that he expects us to use. Of what use could we be in sharing God's love if we spend our days being a Cheshire cat? or a carpet? We are called to serve, to love, to preach, to teach, to heal, to lead, and to live as Christ lived. In looking at Christ's life we find that most of the time turning the other cheek and smiling through the pain was a valid option. We also see that righteous indignation and powerful demonstrations were part of the package as well. All about motivation. When it was Jesus himself being taunted he bore it meekly. When it was his Heavenly Father being disrespected he spoke out, stood up, and unceremoniously threw the money changers from the temple gates. He called the religious elite vipers, and claimed his inheritance as God's Son.

So, yes, be forgiving, be meek, but carry the fire of God's Spirit within you and don't be afraid to let it show now and then. And above all, don't forget who you are to measure yourself against. With God as the measuring stick our successes and failures get put into a more proper perspective.