By Ann Weaver.
Humility is a wonderful trait to have. Most upstanding people admire it, and it’s rare to find in society these days, with everyone trying to think of themselves much greater than they should. Yet often it brings up some questions, and the one I am going to address today is this:
Can humility be carried too far?
Many may ask, “How could you carry it too far? Isn’t it good to always be humble about everything?”
Here are two ways that humility can be overdone.
-Never accepting praise.
I can identify with this one- I have a hard time accepting when people thank me or tell me how well they felt I did something. Obviously, I shouldn’t bask in these praises or go looking for them- that’s a given. However, it’s very important to be able to say “thank you” for a compliment and move on. Refuting their gratefulness over and over can make for awkwardness, even if you don’t feel that whatever you have done is good. The other person is usually happy to compliment you and wants you to accept that praise.
-Allowing others to take advantage of you.
Sometimes you have to speak up, even though it may consist of you telling of something you did. It’s never good to allow someone to allow others to run over you and never speak up about it, as that is neither healthy or right.
If curbed, though, sometimes pride can also be good. It’s good to be proud of things you have done or skills you have accomplished, as long as you keep this pride in its rightful place. Remember that it’s not right to put yourself down about everything, thinking you are an absolutely terrible person who can do nothing. Remember, God has given everyone gifts, even when one feels like they don’t have any.
However, pride in the wrong places can be dangerous, and often fatal when carried too far. As it says in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
God warns us often about the dangers of pride and the virtues of humility, such as Proverbs 11:2, which tells us, “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.” Putting both pride and humility in their correct places is very important! It would be easy to try to learn to accept praises, for example, and end up looking for praise because of the pleasure it gives us. Or to try learning to be proud of a new accomplishment, such as playing a new piano piece or cooking a new type of dish, and end up becoming arrogant about every new skill learned.
In the end, let’s be careful to stay humble, yet try not to turn down compliments that others give us. And through it all, let us remember that “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4)
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