Power in Humility

Ending my post yesterday by stating that "Humility is the key" got me to thinking, and it reminded me of the great C.S. Lewis.  He has the great quote illustrated above, but he dives much further into the topic in his book Mere Christianity.  There is a section entitled The Great Sin, and he hits the point right on the head.

 

...There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people ever imagine that they are guilty of themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

 

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre.  According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

 

...Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call "humble" nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

 

Pride in it's very essence is competitive.  It matters not how much one has, but rather how much "more" of something one has in comparison to another.  In this it attempts to find joy, but sadly it is a cup that can never be full as it's only satisfaction is derived from continually exercising it's power over another.  Thus leaving it's victim to plot, scheme and worry in a torrential whirlpool trapped and powerless to achieve true happiness. This is why the theme of this blog, as indicated in the subtitle is: Try to be better than yourself!

 

Humility is the key, and the sooner we can stop thinking about ourselves the sooner we will be as C.S. Lewis described as a man who is "a cheerful, intelligent chap...who seems to enjoy life so easily."

 

Calling all Lions!!

 

 

 



Bruce Lee's Wisdom

Couldn't help but share this once I saw it. Bruce certainly lived a life of discipline, and as such he was very successful in what he pursued.  Especially like his thoughts on "time" and "stiffest tree."  I will readily admit that these are two areas in which I struggle greatly.

 

First, time is what life is made of, so if you love it don't waste it.  It's more than likely that I talk so much on this particular topic because it is one that not only plagues our society, but one that affects me deeply as well.  How easy is it to take a quick break, or sit down to rest for a minute, and before you know it an hour or two or more has passed by?  I know it's a vice of mine, and one that I strive to correct each day.  How many opportunities have passed me by because I was too busy "wasting" my time?  If in fact I love life, how am I using my time to make the most of it?

 

Second thought is so good I'll restate it:

 

Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.

 

How often do we insist that something must be done a certain way (more times than not "our way") or it's wrong?  Too many times in my life (certainly more than I care to admit) I've been too busy focused on whether I was right to see the truth and beauty I was missing in opening my mind to something different.  The only way to grow and progress is through trials and overcoming challenges as we face them; as such if we aren't able to bend and adjust as the willows or bamboo shafts in the wind then we will break and shatter like a piece of stiff wood.

 

Humility is the key, and most likely why I struggle so much with this concept.  Recognizing that we don't know everything, that we can't do everything alone and that there is a higher power at work in our lives enables us to bend rather than break. Only then can we truly state with sincerity Bruce's other gem: To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities. Clean and center your inner self, and from there the world is yours for the taking. Andy got right to the point in the Shawshank Redemption, "Get busy living, or get busy dying!"

 

Calling all Lions!!