humility

I was teaching safety the other day and we were talking about having a safety-first culture. Everyone assured me that safety was the most important thing, until I pointed out the reasons employees do unsafe things: trucks are waiting, customers need paint, they’re in a hurry and the safety gear is in another room. In the end, a lot of things are put before safety.

This morning, my reading from 1 Peter made me realize that the same dynamic of human nature is at work with call to humility. Look at this from 1 Peter 5:5-17: 

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“‘God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.’

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

We all know that Christians are supposed to be humble, and we claim our commitment to humility whenever the topic comes up. But are we putting actions behind our words? Humility involves putting others before ourselves, after all. Do we do that?

Am I really a humble person in traffic or in checkout lines, all those times when waiting for other people to go first or be served first grates on me? Isn’t my impatience and frustration an indication that I really think I should go first?

At work, do I want others to succeed before I do? Do I spend my days building my own empire, or pouring into others? Do I speak first and listen second? 

How about at church? Do I complain about the music and criticize the pastor? Am I that naysayer who’s always against change? Or do I think first of what will bless other people, and get my fulfillment from their joy?

Humility is hard, because I want to put myself first, but self-first is just another way of saying I think I’m most important, and if that isn’t pride, I don’t know what would be. And the Bible clearly says that God opposes proud people and favors humble ones. 

I think I’m more humble than I used to be, but I still see it wrong. I see it as something I work at, when Peter teaches me in the end that humility is found in resting in God. Instead of feeling like I have to assert myself in traffic or at work or church, I trust that God will meet my needs. I let him take care of all the anxious things I think I have to control. When I do that, I no longer compete with other people, so I can truly care about them.

That still doesn’t sound easy, but it’s a way to get started.