Editorial June 22, 2015 Issue

Humility—the demand and the blessings

David C. Kennedy

We often appreciate humility when we see it in others. But we may think of it as icing on the cake—an admirable quality but not essential. Humility, though, is foundational, and the Christly demand to be humble reaches deeper into thought and character than we might realize.

Many years ago I first came face to face with my own need to be more humble. I prayed earnestly and often for more humility, and after a while I started to feel I was making good progress—until I realized I was now feeling proud of how humble I thought I was becoming!

It was humorous to be sure. But I’ve since learned the serious lesson that true humility is not superficial, because it goes to the heart of how we think of ourselves. And it means that how we think of ourselves needs to become far more spiritual.

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