I celebrate Easter, or Resurrection Day, as I’ve called it for decades, all year long. One of my spiritually defining Scriptures and a personal favorite is Romans 8:11, personalized: The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, dwells in me.
I often pray, “more He, and less me;” and ask the Holy Spirit to rise up and take His appropriate place in the lead. Romans 8:11 humbles me, and rightly so.
Speaking of humility – many years ago, during a time of particularly oppressive circumstances that brought us low in spirit, my husband heard God say, “get your head out of your a–, and look up.” It was startling, but not altogether surprising to hear that from God; for, that’s the kind of relationship we both have with God – we’re frank with Him and He’s frank with us.
Those circumstances were more akin to humiliating, than humbling. The difference between the two is, humiliation is a state of degradation imposed on someone by an outside force, usually other people. One is made to feel like dirt: stepped on, ground down, dismissed as useless, unwanted, unclean, and unworthy, via the process of humiliation.
Humility, on the other hand is often a relational condition of enlightenment; specifically the recognition that there is Someone (God), Who is greater (I John 4:4 – Greater is He Who’s in me, than he who’s in the world.), more powerful, deserving and in control over me, myself, and I. The Latin root of the word humility, is humus.
Humus, unlike dirt, is a mandatory substance to the fertility of the earth. It’s the dark, sweet smelling, organic soil, produced by decayed vegetable or animal matter. It’s good dirt.
If we never grasp humility – which involves letting some decaying things in our way, die, decompose and develop via the circle of life (birth-growth-decomposition-death), we will have gone far in limiting our potential productivity, fertility, and usefulness to this earth. So, “Rise up in me Holy Spirit. More He and less me. I agree with Romans 8:37, I am more than a conqueror, through Christ Who strengthens me. Amen.”
Happy Resurrection!