How Humility Glorifies God

"Humility is the virtue that allows us to put our personal wants and desires to the side,"

King Canute was once ruler of England. The members of his court were continually full of flattery. “You are the greatest man that ever lived…You are the most powerful king of all…Your highness, there is nothing you cannot do, nothing in this world dares disobey you.”

The king was a wise man and he grew tired such foolish speeches. One day as he was walking by the seashore Canute decided to teach them a lesson. He had his chair brought to the water's edge, sat down, and commanded the tide to retreat.

But no matter how strenuously he issued his commands, the sea crept forward and surrounded him.

Finally Canute turned to his entourage “Perhaps now you will remember there is only one King who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for him.”

Humility doesn't mean that we should sit around and do nothing, it simply means that we should remember that we are not God, that God is God, and we are dependent on him.

John Ruskin said this about humility. "I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a ... feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them; that they could not do or be anything else than God made them."

What does it mean to live our lives with humility? As a virtue, humility is difficult to define. You cannot work to be humble because then you are trying to achieve something. You cannot practice humility for then you are trying to gain something.

Humility is best defined by what it is not. It is not self-aggrandizement. It is not seeking something for yourself. Jesus makes that clear. But there is more to humility than is apparent on the surface. The Lord does not tell us that we should not seek to be honored at all. He does not say that we should seek no reward for our efforts.

Modern critics would have us believe that humility means absolute selflessness, even to the point of denying ourselves personal happiness and fulfillment. Some even criticize Christians saying we only do what is good and right because it makes us feel happy. These opinions miss the mark entirely.

A desire for personal fulfillment is built into us. We were created with a desire to be happy because it will lead us to the source of all that is good and true and right. 

Christ does not condemn the natural desire for reward and honor. He elevates it to its proper place. Our desire for true lasting happiness should lead us to God. We must live our lives with humility, realizing that all of our actions reflect upon our relationship with the Almighty. Through humility those words and actions will constantly glorify God.

Pax Vobiscum
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time