Meekness and humility

At age 20, we worry about what others think of us; at age 40, we don’t care what they think of us; at age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all.” (Ann Landers).

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In today’s Gospel (Matthew 11: 25-30) Jesus teaches us about humility saying that the Father hides from the wise and the learned what He reveals to the “little ones.” Further on He tells us: “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart.”

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Are you tired and heavily burdened? Maybe it is because you lack meekness and humility of heart. Maybe you are walking too fast, or maybe you are aiming and flying too high, or maybe you think you don’t need a master and guide.

The outside world can make us tired and burdened, but it is our attitude, own mindset that can make or break us. The Lord tells us today to take the road of meekness and humility, and we will find rest and peace.

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Remember how the GPS tells us to “recalculate” when we lose our way? Perhaps we too need to rethink again who we think we are, who others think we are, and who God thinks we are.

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WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE. A bloated self-image can lead us to succeed or to be damaged. The world tells us to think big and to aim high, but it does not tell us that to get going far and fast can have adverse consequences such as fatigue, sickness, unhappiness, loneliness, depression, emptiness. A humble self-image on the other hand is less stressful and more flexible and forgiving. Maybe, not a “successful” life, but meaningful life is there for those who see themselves in a humble way.

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WHO OTHERS THINK YOU ARE. If we base our self-worth on what others say about us, we become vain and empty, and even fools. If we measure our journey by the cheers or jeers from onlookers, then we may end up as entertainers, and crowd-pleasers. Remember, a crowd is just a crowd, here today, gone tomorrow, so don’t worry and don’t be affected by its applause nor by its silence. Don’t measure yourself by the measure of others. The road of humility leads us away from the maddening crowd.

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WHO GOD THINKS YOU ARE. We can fool ourselves, we can fool others, but we cannot fool God for He knows us through and through. “You have searched me, and you know me, You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:1-2) We have a realistic image of ourselves when we make God our standard. We can fool ourselves as to who we are; the crowd can mislead us as to who we are; but it is God who tells us who we really are, and what we can become.

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Humility is the cardinal virtue on which all the other virtues are founded. Do you have any negative attitudes or bad habits that you want to get rid of? Bad temper, bad relationship, impatience, arrogance, addictions, to name some. If you take the road of humility and meekness, all these bumps and roadblocks in your journey will go away.

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A refreshing breakthrough happened in my life when I finally accepted that I am not as good as I think or others think that I am, and when I also humbly accepted by God’s grace that I am not that bad either.

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Think about this: Humility is the acceptance that there is a God, and you’re not Him; and that there are other people in this world, and you are just one of them.

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A moment with the Lord.Lord, help us to take the road of meekness and humility so that we do not lose our way. Amen.

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