HUMILITY

yousiegtennis

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anba bola

It's funny you ask, because I was just reading a passage about how to be humble. It said that the most important thing to do is to pray for humility, with faith that God will give you it, and take away your pride. Furthermore, something that helps me stay rooted is to remember that I would be just some dust that can do nothing of its own, if it weren't for God, and no matter what good I do, it is not of me but of God. If you think that any bad in you is of you, and any good is of God, you will realise how evil you really are. It is also important to want humility for the right reasons. So as to please God and not yourself. I remember a time in my life where I'd look at people and say, "I'm better because I'm more humble". Also, I know you've already read a lot but allow me to suggest two books that are greatly beneficial, but not very long.

Pope Shenouda's: The Release of the Spirit pages 38-56
Here is the link: http://books.google.com/books/p/pub-9632288571543958?id=NSG1xVn5BrQC&pg=PA49&dq=any+goodness+in+you+is+of+God&lr=&cd=10#v=onepage&q&f=false

Selections from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Here is the link:http://books.google.com/books/p/pub-9632288571543958?id=Wzn_UoayInIC&pg=PA30&dq=humility&lr=&cd=27#v=onepage&q&f=false

jydeacon

You may want to check these threads out if you haven't already.

http://www.coptichymns.net/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-9079.html

http://tasbeha.org/content/community/index.php?topic=9181.0

From what I took from these posts was humility is really not something to be attained or grasped but part of the orthodox way of life. It is not thinking less of ourselves, as many seem to think but really attributing success and strengths to the source of them. Whether that be God(who is the source of all good things) or someone who helped you, regardless of how little or how much they helped. The fact is there is no reason to have pride, any accomplishments really can't be attributed to oneself in its entirety. Even if you work hard, God gave someone the sight to notice your labor, if you have a gift from God, God gave it to you.

Here are a few quotes about humility:

Even devils in their craftiness and beastly manners and with their overconfident minds; they become like dust when they face a humble person. St. Isaac of Syria

“I want to speak about humility, but I am afraid, as one who wants to speak about God. This is because humility is the garment that the Divinity wore when He appeared among us. For this reason, when the devils see a humble person they are afraid, because they see in him the image of their Creator who has subdued them.” St. Isaac of Syria


"It is impossible to achieve freedom from anger without humility."
St. John Climacus


Pray for me and my weakness

coptic youth

GODlovesme,
Fr. Peter had  a homily on Let the children come to Me, in it he discussed humility, I found as always his words of wisdom to be beneficial, practical and here I share.

"We can pray each morning that God will teach us to be humble. And at home, at school and at work we can find opportunities each day to put someone else first in a practical way. This may be as simple as making breakfast for others, or it could be offering others a coffee. It might be taking time to thank people for things they have done for you. It could be making sure that you encourage someone in their own work. When others are criticising someone perhaps humility means that we will find something good and positive to say about them.

To be truly humble is to consider others better and more important than ourselves. It is to have a true appreciation of our weakness and inability before God. But most importantly, and this is where our own humility must be like that of a child we must have a boundless confidence in the love of God and in His strength and ability at work in us by His Holy Spirit."- Fr. Peter Farrington.

Hope it helps :D

George_Mina_Awad

This is a prayer by St. Gregory that someone in my church showed us last week. It Instantly became my favorite prayer. It really put into perspective for me how much of a long way to go I have.

[center]Our Lord Jesus Christ, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed. From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled. From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised. From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted, From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, God.
From the fear of being humiliated. From the dear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes. From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten. From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the Fear of being wronged, From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, God.
Please Lord, teach me how to be humble.
Teach me, Lord, to serve and not to be served. To wash others' feet. To always remember out sins.
We ask you Lord, that You may increase, and we may decrease, Amen.[/center]

yousiegtennis

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abrahamf

"Humility is a funny thing. The minute you think you've got it... You've lost it."

Christrules

Humility isn't thinking less of yourself its thinking of yourself less