Confidence. Determination. Wisdom. Strength. Parents want these things for their children.
How many parents, when they dream of great things for their children, ask God to make their sons or daughters humble?
This virtue does not often top the list. Perhaps it is because we have a mistaken idea of what it means to be humble. Humility can conjure the image of a person who lacks self confidence, is easily taken advantage of, or who cowers before the strong and powerful.
I remember watching a great third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, Mike Schmidt, being interviewed after games.
He was big, strong, talented ? and humble. He would consistently thank God for his accomplishments. By being humble and recognizing God, he actually seemed to grow in stature.
True humility is a virtue.
It means recognizing my gifts and talents but also realizing that I’m not perfect and that the earth doesn’t revolve around me. It means seeing God as the source of goodness, but also entails the responsibility to develop the talents he has given me.
Humility allows me to be confident in my abilities while thanking God that I have them.
True humility isn’t so much about how small and insignificant we are as much as it is about how tremendous God is.
For instance, we can look up at the night sky and have one of two reactions. We can marvel at the immensity of what we behold, or we can think of how insignificant we appear to be.
Marveling at the immensity places the emphasis on God and his wisdom and opens our limited horizons.
Concentrating solely on my insignificance closes the door to greatness and limits my view of the world.
The humble person can both contemplate the greatness and include himself in the picture. He discovers that even though he is small, he is also great because God created him.
Humility allows us to remove ourselves from the center of everything. It can help us to stop trying to being the center of attention so that we can be ourselves.
A humble person does not let the opinion of others dictate their actions. As a result, humility paves the way for true freedom.
A humble person is more the master of his actions than someone who is always trying to be the center of attention.
A proud person who always tries to be the center of attention can end up being held hostage to whatever expectations are created for him. He can become a prisoner of pride. The key to unlock the chains is humility.
Humility also is a doorway that leads to prayer.
The humble soul realizes that no matter how many things he might accomplish, he can not take credit for the fact that his heart beats.
If something this vital to life is beyond his control, then a humble person perceives that he has much to be thankful for.
Father Daniel Pajerski, LC, is the Director of Formation at Everest Academy in Clarkston.