Oscar-winners. Professional athletes. Recording artists. Oh, and of course—politicians. Remarks by men and women in each of these groups often have a common theme:
I am so humbled to have been chosen…
I’m truly humbled to be among the ranks of such a talented group…
I’m infinitely humbled that you would exercise your right to vote on my behalf…
We listen, and sometimes we even believe them a little. But on the inside, don’t we suspect that a more truthful translation of the sentiment behind those word is more like this?
I feel pretty stinkin’ proud to be standing before you today. I actually really deserve this honor and would have been completely affronted had you chosen someone else.
Of course, before we run too far down the Path of Blame and Shame, we should probably examine ourselves. Yesterday I had an experience at the office, which, had I not been preparing to write this post, I might have walked away from saying, “Wow. That was humbling.”
Instead, as I look back on the day, while I do believe that I was unjustly reprimanded, my inward response showed that I was far from humbled by my supervisor’s words and authority. Rather I walked away prideful. Emboldened. Embarrassed perhaps. But humbled? Uh, no.
Meaningful Words
There is a sense of fluidity in language. That is, the understood meaning of a word and the way that everyday people apply it in speech or writing can change over time. Compare, for example, these two dictionary entries for the word “humble.” The first is from today’s dictionary.com, the second, from Webster’s Dictionary 1828—Online Edition.
humble—adjective, humbler, humblest.
- not proud or arrogant; modest:
to be humble although successful. - having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.:
In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble. - low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly:
of humble origin; a humble home. - courteously respectful:
In my humble opinion you are wrong. - low in height, level, etc.; small in size:
a humble member of the galaxy.
humble—adjective [Latin humilis.]
- Low; opposed to high or lofty.
Thy humble nest built on the ground. - Low; opposed to lofty or great; mean; not magnificent; as a humble cottage.
A humble roof, and an obscure retreat. - Lowly; modest; meek; submissive; opposed to proud, haughty, arrogant or assuming. In an evangelical sense, having a low opinion of one’s self, and a deep sense of unworthiness in the sight of God.
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. James 4:1.
Without a humble imitation of the divine author of our blessed religion, we can never hope to be a happy nation.
The differences aren’t necessarily glaring, but there is a sense that in modern times we’ve backed off on the depth of the meaning of humility, and there has been a shift from seeing humble as a comparison of lowly man to holy God toward a comparison of one person to another.
So as we reflect on what it truly means to be humble, let’s spend a few moments looking at how the word is used in Scripture and what it might mean in a biblical sense. And just for grins, because I’m a recipe nut (and former Food Network addict…“former” only because we no longer have cable TV), why not look at the biblical meaning of “humble” through the lens of a recipe? Without further ado, here it is.
