Editorial August 26, 1939 ISSUE

"Before honour is humility"

George Shaw Cook

THE writer of Proverbs said, "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility." A wise man honors God, and is in turn honored by his fellow men. To honor God requires humility—the acknowledgment of Him as Supreme Being, the one divine, creative, and governing power. And such humility is required of those who would gain a demonstrable understanding of God as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Life, Truth, Love.

Writing of the revelation of Truth which came to her with the discovery of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy says in her autobiography (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 31 ): "Into mortal mind's material obliquity I gazed, and stood abashed. Blanched was the cheek of pride. My heart bent low before the omnipotence of Spirit, and a tint of humility, soft as the heart of a moonbeam, mantled the earth." The humility which was felt by our Leader at that time remained with her throughout her career, and characterized her words and works in a marked degree. In humble prayer for divine guidance she turned to God when confronted, as she frequently was, by problems concerning the establishment and conduct of her Church and the Christian Science movement. And a like humility is needed by her followers in their endeavor faithfully and effectively to serve our Cause.

True humility does not, however, partake of the nature of servility, self-abasement, or self-depreciation. Genuine humility is properly associated with the thoughts of dignity, serenity, poise, peace, quietness, and assurance. It is because of the reflection of such qualities that men come to be honored by their fellows. Cringing men-pleasers are not long in honor, and are never of great value in the service of any cause. Their actions are not inspired by right motives.

Jesus, unquestionably the greatest man who ever lived, and at the same time the most valued servant of mankind, was truly humble. Although exercising incomparable power in the healing of sin and disease, he never made the mistake of believing that this power was less than divine. He knew that humanly he was not able to do any of the wonderful works with which his ministry was replete. He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." That was true humility.

The Apostle Paul could hardly be called a servile type of person. In a sense he was bold, but his courage and fearlessness in facing danger and in dealing with adverse circumstances and contentious persons was based upon his conviction that he was divinely commissioned to carry the message of Christ to the Gentiles. And yet he never attributed to himself the power which sustained him throughout his ministry. He knew it to be divine. And in his epistle to the Philippians, he wrote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Onpage 326 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," referring to his conversion, Mrs. Eddy says: "Saul of Tarsus beheld the way—the Christ, or Truth—only when his uncertain sense of right yielded to a spiritual sense, which is always right. Then the man was changed. Thought assumed a nobler outlook, and his life became more spiritual. He learned the wrong that he had done in persecuting Christians, whose religion he had not understood, and in humility he took the new name of Paul."

Real humility or meekness should not be dissociated from might. The meekest of men have frequently been those who exercised the greatest power for good. True meekness is not an expression of fear, but is a manifestation of divine Love. A poet has said,

"The bravest are the tenderest,—
The loving are the daring."

And to dare to do right requires not only courage, but love and humility. Neither is meekness to be linked with poverty or limitation. "Blessed are the meek," Christ Jesus said: "for they shall inherit the earth." Humility—recognition and acknowledgment of the all-power of infinite divine Mind—has its sure reward.

So we need none of us fear that we shall lose anything of real value through the exercise of true humility, which is the opposite of egotism and arrogance. Our Leader writes (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 356 ): "The second stage of mental development is humility. This virtue triumphs over the flesh; it is the genius of Christian Science. One can never go up, until one has gone down in his own esteem." And the Apostle James says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

George Shaw Cook

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit