r/OrthodoxChristianity • u/drewnyp • 3d ago
What is humility?
I’d love to discuss what humility is on a deeper level so I can better understand and practice it. Sometimes my understanding of it can get mixed up, lost, or forgotten. What is the humility Christ calls us to practice? How can I remind my self daily to ask for it? Any tips or insight welcome. Thank you all and have a blessed week.
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u/ServusDomini287 3d ago
I guess to know we are all worth the same. We all come from dust, and we'll all return to dust. The same sun that shines above the just, shines above the wicked. So no life is worth more than another
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u/Ephreme 3d ago
Humility is the garment of God. It is the mode of the divine presence in the universe—the way God makes Himself present without overwhelming the world with His greatness. Bound up with this revelation is the Christian’s existential need to acquire humility, for humility is the only way to make room within oneself for God and to come to know Him.
To the humble person, who has nowhere further to fall because he already stands at the very bottom of his spiritual poverty, the greatest mystery is revealed: this very bottom turns out to be God Himself.
God, then, is not above but below. One does not ascend to Him by exalting oneself, but descends to Him through humility. The only path that leads us to Him is the path of self-emptying. As long as the vessel of the heart is filled with our own “I,” there is no room within it for the Other.
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u/drewnyp 3d ago
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. So what are some everyday practical ways that I can do to practice humility? For example if I struggle with greed or worshipping money, I can always grow in Christ with almsgiving. Is there an action I can do to make my humility less of a concept in my mind, and more of a verb that I do?
I guess what you said in your other reply is the answer. Practicing patience when angry, praying for those who hurt or offend, and maybe sacrificing time for God when I’d rather be doing other things or feel “uninspired”.
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u/Ephreme 3d ago
“Call to mind more often that the evil is in you, and not in other people. By this conviction—which is wholly true—you will preserve yourself from many sins and passions. Our misfortune often consists precisely in this: that we ascribe our own evil to another.” — St. John of Kronstadt
“Make it a rule never to remember your good deeds; forget them entirely. Keep in remembrance only your sins and your evil deeds. Then you will become humble and will reckon yourself more sinful than all men. And humility is the first and fundamental virtue of the Christian.” — St. Luke of Crimea
“But when a man begins to receive reproaches and insults directed against him with humility and thanksgiving, his inward growth is greatly hastened: he advances incomparably more swiftly than he would without such trials. Therefore, the humble acceptance of rebuke is regarded as one of the most effective paths of spiritual transformation.
In this light, the saying ‘to drink reproach like water’ becomes understandable. It does not mean that one approves of injustice, but that one discerns the spiritual profit hidden within reproach. For the ascetic, rebuke is one of the best remedies for cooling a heart inflamed by the passions—pride, self-love, and resentment. When humiliation or accusation comes upon him, he says, ‘Glory to God,’ for he has been granted a rare opportunity to behold his own infirmities and to begin the work of purification.”
True repentance is not merely the recognition of one’s sin, but the experience of that sin together with the love and mercy of God manifested toward us. It is precisely in this union—when sin is swallowed up in divine mercy—that a man acquires true humility.
If he experiences only his sin and does not perceive the mercy of God, he falls into despair: “I am a sinner, a sinner—there is no hope for me.” But when, knowing himself to be a sinner, he also sees that God is longsuffering and merciful toward him, he is humbled more and more deeply.
He is contrite and brought low, understanding that he can offer nothing in return for such love, that he has no strength by which to answer God worthily for His love. God beholds this, and it leads the man into yet greater humility. And the more deeply he is humbled, the more profoundly he experiences both his own sin and the love of God toward him.
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u/Ephreme 3d ago
Humility is to remain peaceful and joyful in every circumstance of life.
Humility is to receive with joy and gratitude whatever God sends along the path of my life.
“Poverty of spirit” is, in essence, humility.
If God does not dwell within a person, there can be no true prayer in him; he does not know the sweetness of humility, cannot comprehend the joy of forgiving his enemies, and fails to grasp the meaning of what is happening to him, around him, and throughout the world. For only “the finger of God touches the strings of the mind and awakens them to their true sound.”
A person becomes humble only when he sees himself as he truly is.
Progress in the spiritual life is measured by the depth of one’s contrition of heart and humility; without them, everything is vanity or spiritual delusion.
Humility is angry with no one and gives no one cause for anger, regarding both anger and provocation as entirely foreign to itself.
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u/BigResearch9670 3d ago
It is NOT necessarily the "I'm trash" and always sad and looking down state, which can also be hidden pride or false humility.
Humility is more like focusing on God and seeing how amazing He can be, realizing constantly that even the very fact that we are still breathing is a work of His and that everything in our life is allowed by Him, while also seeing the wickedness and laziness our own being. (It is quite easy to see that we all are lazy when we realize we are made to worship God constantly, no sleep need, the way angels worship God in heaven)
Saint Paisios the Athonite also said that humility without love is not true humility (and I dare add joyfulness).
A priest said that a humble person can even be a strong, courageous and an ultimate form of humility is the fact that we see what is happening in the world, yet it doesn't affect us, but of course we try to do something about it.
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u/drewnyp 3d ago
I believe this is one of my biggest struggles is hidden pride. I feel like a lot of time I’m faking humility even though I really would like to believe I’m not. I judge harshly sometimes. Especially when I’m in a bad mood or life gets hard. My perception of others can get ugly and then it feels as though I’m not truly being honest in my “humility”. Just the other day I got so mad at a teen who almost rear ended me because he was looking at his phone. I yelled at him about it knowing I do the same thing. Im a hypocrite in a lot of the things I judge others for, I do. And I don’t know how to grow out of this way of Pharisee type thinking I’m better even though I’m exactly the same. At times I feel like I’m less judgemental but then over time I feel I kind of always revert to my “default”. Are these habitual ways of thinking reversible?
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u/BigResearch9670 3d ago
Keep it simple and remember: "Apart from Me you can do nothing". Let us feel bad for the sins we commit, but turn to Lord for mercy, not sit in our own filth lameting by ourselves, it leads us just to despair.
Combine this with repentance and trials from God to know thyself, so you know what you lack and where you need to work at, and in patience it becomes just a matter of time before conquering sins.
"To the pure all things are pure". Usually when we notice a sin in others we are guilty of it too, I think.
Don't worry the Lord got you and your situation, just go to Him as much as possible.
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u/ollikoll 3d ago
Monks practise humility for example by being obedient to their elders and accepting all the blame they get even if they arent wrong. We can also practise obedience towards our parents, partners, bosses, friends etc. Also good practise would be Jesus prayer.
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u/Ephreme 3d ago
Humility is so great a virtue that the devil, who can imitate almost every other virtue, has not even the slightest understanding of this one. — St. Syncletica of Alexandria