Humility is wisdom in disguise
In the years of one’s life, wisdom eventually seeps into the heart. Wisdom is learned from mistakes such as the wrong marriage, investment, or food choice. Wisdom comes in many forms, great and small. Wisdom is hard to gain, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We do not need to drink spoiled milk to learn that we should not drink it; instead, we should listen to the advice of others who have made the mistake.
Often I find myself drinking spoiled milk. Whether it be saying something stupid or hurtful, letting my heart lust after the latest technology or something else, or getting angry at the slow driver in front of me. James 1:19 tells me that I should be slow to speak and quick to listen. 1 Peter 2:11 tells me to abstain from the desires of my flesh because they wage war against my soul. 1 John 4:12 tells me that God’s love is perfected in me when I love others. There is a lot of wisdom from James, Peter, and John, but frequently, it falls on deaf ears. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Some have the idea that the church is a list of rules. Christians throughout history have sought piety in hopes of growing closer to God, but they lost sight of him instead. The Bible is not a list of rules. It is a call to love one another as God loves us. This is overly simple, some would say. They would be right…and wrong. Allow me to explain. For us to love fully, we must experience love in its fullest. To experience love in its fullest, one must experience the love of God through his son Jesus Christ (1 John 4:8) to experience Christ’s love, one must humble himself and accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. There is the key word: humble.
Humility is what causes one to realize his position in the world: there is a God, and he is not God. Humility allows one to confess that he needs a savior and forgiveness. Without humility, true love cannot exist for you or me.
Wisdom is with the humble (Proverbs 11:2). Another key word is wisdom. And now we come full circle. In our daily life, we often find the slow driver or say the wrong thing. But what matters is how we react to the slow driver or act after we say something stupid. When you get behind a slow driver, instead of getting angry, remind yourself of Christ’s love. What is getting angry going to gain you? When you say something stupid, apologize, and own up to it. Your friend or acquaintance will most likely forgive you and appreciate your apology. In order to love and be humble, we must focus our eyes on Christ. If we are humble like him, we will gain wisdom.
“The greatest remedy for anger is delay.”
-Seneca