“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
– Proverbs 11:2
 As Christians, we often link humility and shame together. Saying bad things about yourself is not humility, it’s shame. Hiding is not a sign of humility, it’s shame. A humble person is a vulnerable person. They’re willing to allow their close friends and family to see their imperfections, their struggles, their sins, their worries, their anxieties. While vulnerability might feel like weakness, it’s actually strength. It’s bold, it’s strong, and it’s courageous. The truly humble person is the strong person — they don’t find a need to constantly defend themselves, to always bite back, get angry, and yelp like a little dog. They have the quiet dignity of a Great Dane. |
Prayer
Give me humility, Lord. I want to be bold, strong, and courageous.
Reflection
How do you feel when you are humble?
One Response
Shame surely does go with humility but why wouldn’t it? It means we’ve failed. What’s the source of shame in failing through weakness? Find the source and perhaps we can move through it and rise up out of it. Until then, I just lost a precious, gift from a good friend, given to me sacrificially, through my own foolishness and I’m ashamed and humiliated for doing so. I have no pathway to find it and no recourse for the shame in it’s loss.
What causes the shame? Guilt. God has forgiven us the guilt of our sins … that helps I admit.