Examples of Humility in the Scriptures

Since I’m kind of pending on the step work with my sponsor after completely spacing it for the call last night, I’m going to study today about Humility: how it relates to my recovery, what I can do to have more humility, and examples of humble people in the scriptures.

What is Humility?

According to the dictionary, humility is “a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.”

I don’t completely agree with that. A “low view” seems to mean that a person doesn’t think that well of them self or they are almost a “poor me” person.

In Wikipedia it says this about humility:

Humility (adjectival form: humble) is variously seen as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective and respect for one’s place in context. In a religious context this can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity or deities, acceptance of one’s defects, and submission to divine grace or as a member of an organized, hierarchical religion. Absent a religious context humility can still take on a moral and/or ethical dimension.

I like this better, especially that part about religious context – “a recognition of self in relation to a deity…, acceptance of one’s defects, and submission to divine grace…”

To me, this is true humility – recognizing that I am imperfect and can only become perfect in and through Jesus Christ and by submitting my will to God’s will.

How does humility relate to recovery from addiction?

Well, all of the steps of the 12 step recovery program, are related to humility: honesty, trust in God, hope, truth – these are all forms of being humble. Step 7, however, is titled Humility. Here are some of the things that stick out to me about humility from Step 7:

We had finally come to realize that no other name, no other way nor means, can give us a complete remission of our sins.

This really rings true: I am not relying on the program to cure me, I’m not relying on a professional counselor to heal me or give me the perfect answers, I’m relying on God and His Son Jesus Christ for a remission of my sins. All other things are helpful and assist me in fortifying and working the steps of the Atonement, but only in and through Christ can I truly be made clean and receive forgiveness.

Holding nothing back, we pled with the Father that He, in His infinite mercy, would forgive us for all our pride, transgressions, and shortcomings. We asked that He would grant us grace, that through Him we might maintain this new way of life.

I really like this too, especially with the study I’ve done about grace and how we are the powerhouse and Christ is the living water and only as we let Him flow through us do we really have any power to do anything of true value.

We had to humble ourselves deliberately. We had to surrender every particle of self-sufficient pride and admit that our efforts to save ourselves had been insufficient. We had to feel and live the truth King Benjamin taught—that we are all beggars before God and have no hope of salvation by our own efforts but only through the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 2:21; 4:19–20).

I really relate to this too. My prayers and submission are not limited to working on recovery from addiction to lust, pornography, and sex – but instead, my submission can be for all my character weaknesses. Some that come to mind:

• lack of patience with the kids
• judging others when I don’t feel they are living up to the standards that they should be, or that I feel they should be
• justifying my actions or thoughts
• setting unrealistic expectations on myself or others
• sins of omission: not always saying my personal prayers, not always studying the Gospel, not always repenting right away

I really like this section too:

In taking step 7, we learned to live with the same humility and patience toward God that Alma and his brethren showed when their burdens were lightened but not removed: “They did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15).

Submitting cheerfully and with patience to the will of the Lord. This is my ongoing goal.

How do I humbly submit to the will of the Lord?

I feel this statement is one direct answer:

We finally abandoned the idea that we could become perfect by ourselves, and we accepted the truth that God desires us to conquer our weaknesses in this life by coming to Christ and being perfected in Him.

Coming unto Chris and being perfected in Him – to me that means studying His gospel, saying my personal prayers, learning about His life, going to the temple, serving my wife and family, serving others, magnifying my callings, and especially asking for His help in the moment of temptation, or even before that moment comes. And never, ever forgetting where I’ve been, the pain I’ve caused and how the bitter felt so that I can have joy in the sweetness of life and an eternal family.

These are a couple direct answers too:

Seek for the power of the Savior’s Atonement to become effective in your personal life by meditating on the sacrament prayers

Pray humbly for God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself

Both those are actions steps from Step 7.

Meditation is part of the Inner Gold program that I’ve been working on, in fact, it’s where I’m at now in my homework. I’ll look forward to practicing meditation.

Praying humbly for God to do for me what I can’t do for myself is all about submission in the moment of temptation. It’s the “chin up” approach, it’s praying when a thought comes, and it’s praying when I feel myself losing my patience with the kids.

I’m grateful for this study today.

I’m grateful to learn more about humility.

I look forward to more study about humility and how I can practice it in my life.

Hasta luego.

Nate