Many people believe humility is a sign of weakness. But in Christian Science, the opposite is the case. Humility is a sign of strength.
Humility is listening for God’s direction and then acting on it.
Pride, ego and self-righteousness are quick to draw conclusions from material evidence and spout opinions, belief and fears accordingly. Their observations and conclusions are often rash, short-sighted, and even rife with ignorance.
Humility is the opposite. True humility shuts down personal sense, turns from the human mind, and opens to the divine Mind. It seeks God’s point of view first and then acts according to divine inspiration.
True humility puts one into a position of dominion and authority. It’s a virtue worth embracing.
This morning I especially appreciate this sense of direction. Barreling ahead into fog is how I have lived my life. But with Christianly scientific prayer, my experience is bound to improve upon the former pattern of behavior. Thank you for allowing me to do better while seeing myself and others as entitled to the same blessing or benefit. Life IS fair! Life is God. God is Good.
Your post was convincing, welcomed, appreciated, and drew my attention, at a time I was realigning all the misfiled articles which my computer files hold until I need that spiritualized thought. Thank YOU!!! I am so grateful
A truly humble response and very helpful, Rhondda. thank you, and with love.
Wonderful post, Evan. Thank you.
Wonderful post, Evan. Thank you.
“Humility and the source of our ability” By Stephen Carlson. From the May 24, 2016, issue of The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2016/0524/Humility-and-the-source-of-our-ability/?src=shared
Hi dear J , such an excellent article about Humility by Stephen Carlson. Thank you very much!
Thank you dear Evan for reminding us that Humility is the source of our ability! And I do embrace the virtue of humility lovingly!
Knowing I express God I called my bank to clear a problem with my credit card. I myself had a special way in mind to solve it. But the man at the bank proposed another way, a very simple way for the solution of the matter. I know clearly that it’s God’s doing . Thank you dear God!
Yes, just beautiful. Thank you!❣️
Evan wisely reminds us that humility is a sign of strength. It re-connects us to the very Source of all strength and wisdom, God. We’re never really disconnected from our Source, but seem to forget this.
When I feel that sense of struggle or that I “know” or have to be the do-er or the figurer-outer, or that it’s about “me”, I know I’ve once again gotten caught up in a material view and lost my humility. It’s a painful feeling. Sometimes I wonder how I can forget so often.
Hope I’ll start to remember quicker that I’m not here about some false, separate “me”, but I’m here as the humble, natural and joyful expression of God’s good. Grateful for the reminder.
Yes, these feelings of “me” as the do-er creep into my thought as well and I just read Alertness to Duty from the Church Manual to remember to defend myself daily against aggressive mental suggestion. Sometimes I get huffy when I think I am doing more than others and this is an aggressive suggestion that I am self-centered and not God-centered. I thank God for helping me see his/her provision for all of his creation today without any mortal comparisons. Thank you for sharing Rose.
Hi Rhonda
Thank you and, congratulations.
Your comments resonate with me. Sense of direction and bound are terms you wrote, and from experience, I discovered that starting with God in all my tasks, I am with proper direction. As a result I am bound to God’s outcome.
Please note, this is easier said than done at times for me, yet, I get near instant feedback IF and WHEN I forgot to start with God. 😉
The five states of knowing: 1. You know that you know: certainty. 2. You know that you don’t know: knowledgeable ignorance. 3. You don’t know that you know: forgotten knowledge. 4. You don’t know that you don’t know: Ignorance. 5. You think you know but you really don’t: Bias or ignorant knowledge. The last state is the most dangerous because it often lacks the necessary humility to open up to truth which is the divine guidance to knowing. Humility is the doorway because it takes us out of our own way allowing divine guidance to lead the way.
Interestingly put, Josef.
It says to me that we must get rid of all the various suggestions of material knowing that you itemise, – all from the “tree of knowledge”of good and evil”- all material and useless, summed up as personal sense, and humbly turn to God and listen to Christ’s messages to find true knowledge. As Evan says, “seek God’s point of view first, and then acts according to divine inspiration.” And it’s worth remembering this, for as Evan points out at the end of his message: “True humility puts one into a position of dominion and authority. It’s a virtue worth embracing”.
Thank you Evan and all for these humble words of wisdom. I have come
across some thoughts I would like to share:
(Most I’m not sure who the author is)
– “In a world that often feels overwhelming, it’s the small daily acts of kindness
that have the power to make the greatest impact”
– “Feed your soul, not your ego”
– ” I am not impressed by money, social status or job title. I Am impressed
by the way someone treats other human beings” ….
[and I might add, animals]
– “Two things define us: our patience when we have nothing and
our attitude when we have everything”
– “The greatest lesson I have learned in life is that I still have a lot to learn”
– “I remind myself every morning, Nothing I say this day will teach me
anything. So, if I’m going to learn, I must do it by Listening” – Larry King
I’m thankful for your post, Evan, and loving all the comments. Just wishing I could be humble about my self-righteousness. Maybe I should stop claiming that it’s mine and just see its lack of power, lack of attraction and lack of reality. Father, I humbly ask for help to “make self-righteousness be still” (MBE hymn).
A good prayer Barb. Seeing the self-righteousness as powerless and that it’s not “you” and not “yours” – very important; that creates a distance between you and it. I think that’s called impersonalizing error, that it is not attached to a person. And you humbly ask for help to be free of it. Perfect.