Article January 24, 1948 Issue

WHAT IS HUMILITY?

LOUISE ANDERSON

Humility is the selfless recognition of God as the only cause, power, or presence. In human experience a widespread misconception of the meaning of humility has resulted in its general misuse and an erroneous dissociation of it from dignity, assurance, and competence. Humility is often mistakenly used to connote weakness, servility, or ineffectiveness. Such a connotation is the exact opposite of the meaning of the humility exemplified by Christ Jesus, the ablest and mightiest of men. This is clearly evidenced by his declarations that the ability and power which produced his great works were not his, but God's. He who changed water into wine, walked on the waves, fed the multitudes, and raised the dead, stated simply (John 5:30), "I can of mine own self do nothing," and also (John 14:10), "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

One who accepts Christ Jesus as the Way-shower cannot fail to conclude from his example that there is no humility in shy ineptitude or hypocritical belittling of achievement, but that humility crowns excellence of performance by giving all the power and glory to God. Christian Science teaches that one perfect God, good, is All, the only creator, and that man is His image and likeness. Everything in God's universe, and there is no other, obediently expresses the perfection of its creator. Man as God's expression, or reflection, is endowed with health, strength, ability, capability, intelligence, power, and every good quality in never-diminishing abundance, but these qualities originate in God and are inseparable from Him.

Good in its every manifestation emanates from God, divine Mind, and is cause for rejoicing and gratitude, but never for boastful self-satisfaction. Mary Baker Eddy writes in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 275): "All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause, and effect belong to God. These are His attributes, the eternal manifestations of the infinite divine Principle, Love. No wisdom is wise but His wisdom; no truth is true, no love is lovely, no life is Life but the divine; no good is, but the good God bestows." Mrs. Eddy also states (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 46), "Man is not equal with his Maker; that which is formed is not cause, but effect, and has no power underived from its creator."

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