Humble Pie Anyone?

[syrenn]

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

You can be submissive and not even be close to humble in my opinion.

 

[ABikerSailor]

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

Yep. It is. Meekness is kinda like a black belt martial artist, who although they know how to fight very well and do serious damage, instead of going to fists first, most that I've known over my life would rather talk their way out of a situation than anything else.

Think of the Karate Kid series and look at Mr. Miyagi and how he handles things. That is probably one of the best examples of meekness I can think of.

And yeah.......it is a part of humility.

 

[Marie888]

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

You can be submissive and not even be close to humble in my opinion.

Haha, you shoulda said, in "my humble opinion" lol. Yeah, maybe.. I dunno.. got an example of what you mean?



(gotta type more..lets get to page 3! lol)



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[ABikerSailor]

Humility is the ability to withhold judgment, to allow others to shine, to think and act not so much in your own best interests as in the best interests of those around you...and to be willing to do it without fanfare or even acknowledgement.

It's seeing yourself as no better than the most downtrodden and insignificant people, and being thankful for those things which elevate humans and give them joy...and at the same time, being accepting of the events and turns of life that beat us down.

"being accepting of the events and turns of life that beat us down"... I never even thought of that...I struggle with that one at times.



.

There's a really cool trick to acceptance that I've learned.

Acceptance isn't aquiescing to the situation and saying that you can't do anything about it, as that is what most people do.

Acceptance is actually a STARTING point, where you assess where you're at, and what condition you are in, and then, you start working towards a goal that you can see.

 

[AllieBaba]

Meekness isn't really about talking rather than fighting.

It's about acceptance of what will be, even though you could change the playing field, even though you could make a scene. It's fading into the woodwork instead of taking center stage, regardless of whether or not you would be justified in taking center stage.
It's taking what's thrown at you without resentment and without fighting back. Meekness would be taking a beating....not fighting back with words instead of fists..because using words is still fighting/arguing.

It's all about acceptance.

 

[AllieBaba]

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

You can be submissive and not even be close to humble in my opinion.

Haha, you shoulda said, in "my humble opinion" lol. Yeah, maybe.. I dunno.. got an example of what you mean?



(gotta type more..lets get to page 3! lol)



.

Yes you can be submissive without being humble. It's called PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE behavior, lol...

 

[syrenn]

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

You can be submissive and not even be close to humble in my opinion.

Haha, you shoulda said, in "my humble opinion" lol. Yeah, maybe.. I dunno.. got an example of what you mean?



(gotta type more..lets get to page 3! lol)



.

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

Yep. It is. Meekness is kinda like a black belt martial artist, who although they know how to fight very well and do serious damage, instead of going to fists first, most that I've known over my life would rather talk their way out of a situation than anything else.

Think of the Karate Kid series and look at Mr. Miyagi and how he handles things. That is probably one of the best examples of meekness I can think of.

And yeah.......it is a part of humility.

That is not being meek or submissive. He is not cowering in meekness...nor is he bowing to or under superior pressure. He is being humble in the sense that he is not telling this bozo that he can kick his ass into next week....which has nothing to do with meekness or submission.

 

[AllieBaba]

You can be submissive and not even be close to humble in my opinion.

Haha, you shoulda said, in "my humble opinion" lol. Yeah, maybe.. I dunno.. got an example of what you mean?



(gotta type more..lets get to page 3! lol)



.

I just learned myself what meekness is (even after reading the Bible for about 10 years) I used to think it meant "weak". It doesn't. It means to be submissive.. so I'd say yeah, that would be part of humility, wouldn't it?

Yep. It is. Meekness is kinda like a black belt martial artist, who although they know how to fight very well and do serious damage, instead of going to fists first, most that I've known over my life would rather talk their way out of a situation than anything else.

Think of the Karate Kid series and look at Mr. Miyagi and how he handles things. That is probably one of the best examples of meekness I can think of.

And yeah.......it is a part of humility.

That is not being meek or submissive. He is not cowering in meekness...nor is he bowing to or under superior pressure. He is being humble in the sense that he is not telling this bozo that he can kick his ass into next week....which has nothing to do with meekness or submission.

It's not even humble, if you *know* you can talk your way out and then commence to prove it. Sounds like a point of pride to me.

A humble, meek person wouldn't initiate a talk fest to avert a fight. A meek & humble person would state their stance in a non-confrontational way (if it even came up) and then accept the consequences.

It's all about acceptance. You aren't accepting, you aren't meek, and you aren't humble if you are arguing the point.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Humility and meekness are not hand in glove.

A meek black belt would apologise to end the situation even if he was in the right.

A humble bb would simply walk away, knowing if things got out of hand, he could handle it.

Meek people don't speak up for themselves. A humble person will not allow himself to be wronged.

 

[Two Thumbs]

side note

There ain't that many humble or meek people on USMB.

 

[R.D.]

Humility and meekness are not hand in glove.

A meek black belt would apologise to end the situation even if he was in the right.

A humble bb would simply walk away, knowing if things got out of hand, he could handle it.

Meek people don't speak up for themselves. A humble person will not allow himself to be wronged.

Will not allow himself to be wronged?

 

[007]

Let's play an interesting game................

Define Humility as you see it. I'll give my answer after 3 pages.

Not thinking this game will last for three pages.

 

[ABikerSailor]

side note

There ain't that many humble or meek people on USMB.

True that. It's kinda like the law of the jungle on occasion around here.

 

[Marie888]

Let's play an interesting game................

Define Humility as you see it. I'll give my answer after 3 pages.

Not thinking this game will last for three pages.

We be on page 3 now....


How about if we look up Webster for it? Would we all trust and/or agree what it says there?


Humble - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Synonyms: demure, down-to-earth, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious

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[Two Thumbs]

Humility and meekness are not hand in glove.

A meek black belt would apologise to end the situation even if he was in the right.

A humble bb would simply walk away, knowing if things got out of hand, he could handle it.

Meek people don't speak up for themselves. A humble person will not allow himself to be wronged.

Will not allow himself to be wronged?

I'll use an example;

It's pouring outside. The boss tells a meek person to go and dig a hole, even though it's against the rules, a meek person will do it. A humble person will politely remind the boss about the rules b/c he doesn't want the boss to get into trouble.

I would say; HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

but then, I ain't all the humble or tolerant.

tolerance is the major issue I'm working on.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Let's play an interesting game................

Define Humility as you see it. I'll give my answer after 3 pages.

Not thinking this game will last for three pages.

We be on page 3 now....


How about if we look up Webster for it? Would we all trust and/or agree what it says there?


Humble - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Synonyms: demure, down-to-earth, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious

.

blehk

Everyone knows Websters isn't that good of a dictionary.

 

[ABikerSailor]

When I was 30 or 31, I came across a really good friend of mine named Ned. Ned was kinda like my mentor for a while, and one day we were talking about humility.

One of the first things that Ned told me was that I had to get a decent definition of the two so that I could understand what they were, as up to that point, I'd considered them to be one and the same.

However, Ned told me that was wrong. He defined humiliation as having an overabundance of confidence in my abilities, and when asked to demonstrate them, I would fail, because I had inflated my own self worth with nothing. So, when asked to do something, I would fail and suffer embarrasment (humiliation) as a direct result.

He then told me about the antidote to humiliation being humility.

Humility as he defined it was a realistic and accurate appraisal of who and what I truly was, followed by a sincere attempt to become the best that I can.

If you were to ask if I rode a bicycle, I'd tell you yeah. If you pressed further and asked me how far I could ride, I would respond that I used to ride 50-100 miles/day for over 8 years in a row (I commuted by bicycle). If you asked me that same question today, I'd tell you that 50 miles is doable, but since I'd been away from the bike for 10 years, I wasn't quite as fast and enduring as I once was, but I'm working to get back as much as I can.

Meekness is also being aware of who and what you truly are, and trying to become better as you go. It's not about bragging to anyone who will hear how good you are at something, it's quietly demonstrating it when asked.

So, if you look at who and what you are (also accepting the things in life that brought you to this point, even though you didn't like some of them, which is why you changed your perspective), and use that knowledge as a starting point to work towards your goals, then you can be considered truly humble.

Interestingly enough........Christians like to talk a lot about accepting Christ into their hearts, but how many of them after realizing what they did, actually try to follow in the footsteps of Yeshua, and learn from what He taught?

 

[R.D.]

Two Thumbs you example falls flat imo

If the point is the bosses job being in the lurch wouldn't both get wet? That also has nothing to do with the humble man personally being wronged

 

[Marie888]

Interestingly enough........Christians like to talk a lot about accepting Christ into their hearts, but how many of them after realizing what they did, actually try to follow in the footsteps of Yeshua, and learn from what He taught?

Thank you for sharing. Although, after going through this all, I can see I probably need to take another closer look at humility/meekness/submissiveness/acceptance, etc. The exact definitions are kinda boggling my mind a bit.

As for me, I believe people who have truly accepted Christ in their lives are being sanctified by Him. Or, rather, once we accept Christ, we are NOT suddenly made"sinless". We are NOT "holier than thou." HE alone is our justification, because we all do wrong. After knowing Him, HE begins the good work through conviction of His Holy Spirit. The Lord sanctifies us in one area, there is yet always another area we need help in. We are learning.. and that means through trial and error also.


What's hard for me personally in my walk with the Lord, is taking rejection from people, more specifically I should say, my family. It's not so bad for me from people I don't know, or online, etc. I don't get so offended for some reason, I practically expect it as the Lord told us it would happen. I just pray to be loving and to be used for His Glory.

But when my own family members attacks my character, faith, and what is most important to me, (Him), it feels like a betrayal. This is where I've been failing - my family. I've found myself in a spot where it's very hard to be accepting of them like I used to be, (I'm sorry to say but thats the trial) Because they seem to have rejected me. I never in a million years thought I'd have this struggle. It hurts so much to have them whom I love so much (I mean a couple of them by all this, btw, not all) reject me on account of my faith and seemingly cannot wait to point out when I do wrong.

It's very hard for me, and one of the trials I seem to be going through. I have to pray and pray for the Lord to correct me all the time, show me my heart, and help me forgive and love them, as He does with me. I didn't deserve His forgiveness, what right do I have to not forgive others which includes my family, ya know? (Yes, like you said, following Jesus - loving and accepting others) Yes I realize that I should apply these same concepts with my family, but it hurts so much. And sometimes when we "hurt", we sin. Hatred in our hearts, unforgiveness, unloving, wrong thinking, etc.

Jesus told us that when we shared His Word or witnessed about Him we would be persecuted. In fact, we should consider it a blessing. (Yes, I realize I'm not persecuted in the "body" nor suffer even a glitch of what some have suffered).

Part of what I think I'm trying to say is, the walk the Lord IS NOT EASY. Our faith is also trial. Yes, He has forgiven us and loves us, and HE alone is our righteousness. However, because we have that 'human, sin, flesh" nature, and we are at war with that "flesh" and sometimes do not love others as He does with all of us. No, that doesn't make it right, or any "sin" right of course. However, knowing that we are all fully capable of sin, and sometimes fall, and are learning from it from Him and others makes all the difference.

We fail at it, we get pruned, discipliined, and sometimes we don't even see our own yucky pride till something happens where we get it kicked in our faces, it seems.

Overall, I think we all can have pride, we all can be hypocrites sometimes, we all can fall short, we all sin. That means failing at esteeming others, forgiving and loving others, but yes, through Christ, we should be striving to. Like you said, be more like Him so others can see Him. But if we didn't fail at times, we'd have no need for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, would we not?

As soon as I think I'm doing "good".. Bam! here comes another thing the Lord shows starts to me in where my heart, my thoughts, or my actions that aren't right.

I dunno if that helps. Hope so, still learning as I go.

Here's a verse that amazed me when I truly looked at it:

1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

.

 

[syrenn]

When I was 30 or 31, I came across a really good friend of mine named Ned. Ned was kinda like my mentor for a while, and one day we were talking about humility.

One of the first things that Ned told me was that I had to get a decent definition of the two so that I could understand what they were, as up to that point, I'd considered them to be one and the same.

However, Ned told me that was wrong. He defined humiliation as having an overabundance of confidence in my abilities, and when asked to demonstrate them, I would fail, because I had inflated my own self worth with nothing. So, when asked to do something, I would fail and suffer embarrasment (humiliation) as a direct result.

He then told me about the antidote to humiliation being humility.

Humility as he defined it was a realistic and accurate appraisal of who and what I truly was, followed by a sincere attempt to become the best that I can.

If you were to ask if I rode a bicycle, I'd tell you yeah. If you pressed further and asked me how far I could ride, I would respond that I used to ride 50-100 miles/day for over 8 years in a row (I commuted by bicycle). If you asked me that same question today, I'd tell you that 50 miles is doable, but since I'd been away from the bike for 10 years, I wasn't quite as fast and enduring as I once was, but I'm working to get back as much as I can.

Meekness is also being aware of who and what you truly are, and trying to become better as you go. It's not about bragging to anyone who will hear how good you are at something, it's quietly demonstrating it when asked.

So, if you look at who and what you are (also accepting the things in life that brought you to this point, even though you didn't like some of them, which is why you changed your perspective), and use that knowledge as a starting point to work towards your goals, then you can be considered truly humble.

Interestingly enough........Christians like to talk a lot about accepting Christ into their hearts, but how many of them after realizing what they did, actually try to follow in the footsteps of Yeshua, and learn from what He taught?

So what you are saying is that i was right

You also are agreeing that meekness is not being humble.