Sirach 3:19-21, 30-31 / Heb 12:18-19 / Luke 14:1, 7-14
It is said that a proud man can learn humility but he will be proud of it.
Pride is the scourge of humanity and it has brought about the first Fall and countless misery.
Well, it was pride that changed angels into devils.
Having said all that about pride, it is also necessary to look at its counterpart - humility.
It is humility that makes men as angels; the Lord turns His eyes on the lowly and the humble.
Indeed the first test of a truly great person is his humility.
Yet humility does not mean that one looks down on himself, or to have a poor self esteem, or does not have self-respect or dignity.
That would be like false humility or a warped understanding of humility.
Maybe putting it simply "humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less" (C. S. Lewis)
Having said all this about humility, it would be helpful to have practical ways of humility.
Below are 10 ways that humility can be put into practice.
1. Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18)
2. Speak without accusing (James 1:19)
3. Give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26)
4. Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1:9)
5. Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17:1)
6. Share without pretending (Ephesians 4:15)
7. Enjoy without complaining (Philippians 2:14)
8. Trust without wavering (1 Cor 13:7)
9. Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3:13)
10. Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13:12)
Yes, we can live without pride, and humility is not just the key to living but also the key to loving.