It’s good to be humble: Stop Bragging
- March 26, 2021
The Church teaches that humility is a desired quality to develop. When we display humility, we acknowledge God as the author of all that is good. Humble people avoid inordinate ambition and pride and turn to God in thanksgiving for all they are blessed with. They should be admired, and their example emulated.
In a sense, humility is the act of holding an objective view of our own personality; possessing a self-awareness that recognises our total reliance on God for all we have.
‘Every good and perfect gift is from above’ (James1:17).
Many people are blessed with good health, good looks, lots of possessions and friends. Others are talented on the sports field. While we should celebrate our talents and achievements, when we are humble, we don’t dwell on them, making sure they are noticed. Instead, we quietly accept our blessings, and thank God for his kindness.
There are many opportunities to practise humility daily. I propose trying the following:
- Be genuinely happy for a friend’s achievement.
- Get things done without complaining.
- If you are good at something, just do it, and help another who might be struggling. To be blunt, get off your high horse. The fall may not be pleasant.
- Be counter cultural. Social media is often used as a platform to brag. Use it instead as a platform to raise awareness of social issues.
- Count your blessings. There is always someone worse off than you.
Humble people don’t need constant praise and even when successful, they don’t show off. We should value humility, as it will help us accept our failures without feeling defined by them. Imagine what the world would be like if we had fewer show-offs and more people who just got on with it? May we never think that we are better than anyone else. We are dust, and to dust we will return.
- Featured
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.