Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Col 3:12
I’ve been spending some time thinking of the virtue of humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. How often do we say in our holy yoga practice that we are making space for more of God and less of us? This is the idea of humility. It’s the process of becoming more like Jesus. It stems from having someone besides ourselves as the center of our attention. It stems from an honest understanding of who we are. So I want to invite you today in your practice to not set your intention on yourself, and what you can or can’t do on your mat. Rather ask God to root you in His love and so that you can move in an understanding of who you are.
We all have a human longing to be appreciated, valued and recognized for our potential. But if we aren’t rooted in Him, our desire for these things puts us front and center, or worse it we find our identity in secondary things. So let’s begin our practice this week by asking God to remind us, as we move and breathe in His presence, how much He loves us, that we are chosen, appreciated and important to Him, the Creator of the universe. Inhabit us, Lord. Let us move freely in who we are – no more and no less.
Humble people are free – because they are not the center of their own universe. They don’t think less of themselves, but they think of themselves less frequently. In the book, Spiritual Disciplines, Adele Calhoun says the fruits of this spirit of humility are having Jesus increase in our lives as we decrease; its keeping company with Jesus so that our identity rests in Him alone; it’s loving our neighbors and taking as much interest in others as we do in ourselves and our own opinions; it’s becoming more like Jesus.
Holy God, we are so thankful for you Word that pierces us, teaches us, rebukes us and doesn’t come back void. Help us Lord to not just be hearers of your Word but doers. Continue to move and speak in us today, showing us an empowering us in every situation to be more and more like you. In Jesus Holy Name we pray.