". . . be clothed with humility." 1 Peter 5:5
I don't want to be a "hair-slitter," for they are usually chronic critics who overlook all the flowers in a beautiful bouquet and pick on the one faded petal. But I may seem to be dealing in petty faultfinding when I object to the way some people begin or end their prayers. So often it begins, "We humbly come," or ends, "This we humbly ask." I know folks mean well, but really "humble" folks never mention it. In fact, no person is humble who admits or thinks he is. Paul refers to a "show of humility" in Colossians 2:23. The worst kind of pride is humble pride, which really is proud humility. A truly humble person will never suspect that he is humble but will be like Moses when he came down from the mountains. "Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone" (Exodus 34:29).
How can we recognize proud humility in ourselves? Do you like to talk about your own achievements and spiritual knowledge? Are you one who humbly (?) tells how much time you spend in prayer and studying the Bible? We hear folks tell us how much time they spend studying the Word, and when they get up to preach - well, we wonder. You don't need to advertise how early you get up to pray. If you really spend much time in prayer, people will soon know it without your telling them.
There is another form of humility we may call false humility. It consists of constantly depreciating ourselves to others, telling how bad we are and what a failure we've been; but secretly we want them to disagree with us and tell us how great we are.
A certain preacher became tired of hearing one of the ladies in the congregation constantly testify as to what a great sinner she was and what a wicked woman she was. One day she said again, "Pastor, I am such a wicket woman," and the pastor replied, "Yes, so I've been told." At this she became indignant and screamed at him, "Who told you I was a wicked woman?" He answered, "You did!"
"Bread For Each Day"
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