Humility Thinks Well of Others
Do you think the best or the worst about people?
Verse of the Day
‘Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.’
Today’s Devotional
I love it when a Bible verse says something, and then explains what that something means. In today’s verse, we are told that humility means thinking of others as better than ourselves.
Is that your normal way of thinking?
When you meet someone new, and that person is very quiet and a little unengaged, do you think that this person is shy? Or do you think this person is a snob?
When someone has a different opinion than you about something you find important, do you ask questions to find out how they arrived at their opinion? Or do you dismiss them as wrong and possibly even stupid?
When someone cancels a meeting with you without explanation, do you assume that there must be a logical explanation? Or does your mind instantly think that this person is a jerk?
When someone cuts you off in traffic, do you think that they must not have seen you? Or do you think they must be an idiot driver?
When we think the worst about people, we are certainly not following the directive to be humble and to think of others as better than ourselves. We are making a judgement with very little information and our own skewed perspective. But we actually always have the pertinent information, that each human is created by God, in His image, and is loved by God.
Thinking of others as better than me does not mean that I grovel in self-pity or a low self esteem. It means that I have let go of my ego and my own will. The following quote from enduringword.com is the best description of this concept that I’ve ever read: “If I consider you above me and you consider me above you, then a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on.”
That’s the goal, people!
Humility asks that we always be lifting each other up. Humility calls us to think the very best in each other (and bear with each other’s faults, remember?) Humility shows us that we have no need to be selfish because God will meet all of our needs. Humility reminds us that we need not try to impress others, because the opinions of man are not what we value, because the humble person does all things for the glory of God.
When the rubber meets the road and we are in a situation where we are tempted to think poorly of someone, we must be teachable. We must ask the Spirit to remind us of this verse and capture those thoughts. And when we get it wrong, which we will, we embrace humility and admit our errors and ask for help to do better next time.
Humility is not a trait that we are born with or without. Humility is learned thinking and behavior. Humility takes practice.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How have you noticed yourself thinking the worst of others?
Has anyone ever assumed something about you that was wrong? How did that feel?
How can you consider others above you today?
How can you lift someone else up today? Either in prayer or with some kind of encouragement?