Honesty & Humility

Found this very good discussion on the nature of humility by Michael Kelley at Forward Progress. I like the fact that he puts God at the center and I agree with what he says.

Humility is a tricky subject, to say the least. It’s tricky because I might write a post that tells you what I have learned about being humble. But then I wouldn’t be humble any more because I’d be proud of my humility. Or I might write a post about what an idiot I am. But the truth is I don’t really think I’m that much of an idiot, so I’d be feigning humility in order to get you to like me. Once again, you have pride masquarading as humility.

I think the best solution to this quandry is also the simplest one: let’s adopt the philosophy of just being honest.

When you’re honest, you can admit that you’re good at certain things. True, you’re ot the best at them, but you’re good at them nontheless. But let’s take that honesty even further. Though you admit you are good at certain things, you really can’t take credit for them.

Because if you’re honest, you have to admit that it’s God who has given you certain talents and abilities, God who fills your lungs, God who makes your heart beat one more time.

Or from the other perspective: If you’re honest, you have to admit that there are many things you’re not good at. But if you carry that honesty out even further, you understand that just because you can’t sing like Michael Bolten or dance like Paula Abdul, you still have worth as a human being. You have worth because you were made in the image of God. And because He has worth, so do you.

In either case, if you follow honesty back to its source, you find God. At the center. Again and again.