What Does Humility Look Like?

What does an humble person look like? Some people would describe them as simple in appearance, bland colored clothing, head bowed, shoulders forward, shy and unnoticeable. When spoken to their voice is soft and answers uncertain. They have few aspirations and low energy. They lack passion and wouldn’t hurt a fly. They are usually alone and no one wants to emulate their poor, unlovely, pathetic life of humility.

It is no wonder people are not interested in pursuing the humble life when that is their vision of it. That isn’t how I see humility at all. An humble person is quietly confident; not boisterous, but not woeful either. He or she is driven to achieve that which will benefit the world. Their passion is pure and free from selfish intent. They take delight in the people around them. Their joy or sorrow reflects their compassion and concern for others. If they are unnoticed, it is because they are continually directing attention away from themselves. Their inner strength is enormous and they do not need praise or credit to pump them up. They are excited about being a part of the world, not the center of it. This is the humble person. He or she chooses a path of lowliness, not listlessness; of meekness, not meaninglessness; of gentleness, not genitallessness. They are unpretentious, not unambitious. They are reverent, not irrelevant.

Don’t believe everything you read in a dictionary or Thesaurus about the meaning of humility. Believe the Biblical models that represent for us the humble life. There are great men and women in the Bible like Noah, Naomi, Samuel, Esther, Daniel, Mary, John, Tabitha, Barnabas, the mother of Timothy, and Jesus our Lord. These are men and women from whom we can learn humility. These are men and women who can provide us a proper picture of how an humble person looks.