HUMILITY

To live in humility is to be lowly, submissive, and having a modest estimation of your worth. Humility is the foundation of our spiritual life which is to be learned and practised daily.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Humble yourselves therefore before under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.  1 Peter 5:5b – 6

Our identity is not based on people’s opinion about us, but we should be secure in God’s love. There is no fear and timidity in humility “Humility is the foundation of all other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist, there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance” – St Augustine. A humble person is confident in God’s protection and not in himself. We should acknowledge the results of our work but giving the glory to God.

“The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it” – St Vincent De Paul. Mother Teresa mentioned some of the ways to cultivate humility thus; (a) speak less of yourself (b) do not interfere in other people’s affair (c) do not dwell on other’s faults (d) accept insults, being forgotten and disregarded (e) Do not seek admiration and love.

“It was pride that changed angels to devils, it is humility that makes men angels” – St Augustine. In humility, we take cognizance of other people’s needs and compete less with them to satisfy our pride.