Good communicators are often said to be those who have become Masters of the Metaphor. I'm not sure if really that type of writer, but hey, maybe I should start trying?One metaphor I do have, is for humility. Humility is, essentially, self-control. When we are tempted, we must exercise self-control in order to overcome that which is tempting us. We must say no to that extra big slice of fat-ridden chocolate cake, and ask for the smaller slice instead; we must hold our tongue instead of lashing out when someone threatens us with their words. Humility is holding back a part of ourselves; a part that is often much easier to let loose.
Humility can often feel like unfinished business. I once got in an argument with one of my friends because I felt that she hadn't been making an effort in our friendship. I called her out on it, and she replied with the argument that I hadn't made much of an effort either, and that I had acted somewhat hostile to her as of late. This response peeved me, but I decided to let it go. I accepted what she said (even though I definitely didn't agree with it), took my share of the blame (even though I thought she deserved a greater portion of it), and decided to let the argument go for the sake of preserving the friendship. It ended up being a wise decision, but it left me feeling like she and I had much unfinished business. However, as I mulled over the situation a bit more, I began to realize that, if I was being humble and realistic, the lack of communication in our friendship probably was more of my fault than it was hers. It just took me a little while to realize this.
When we feel pride, we let our defensiveness get in the way. Defensiveness builds walls, and not good ones. Instead of protecting ourselves, we end up shutting people out and often making situations worse. So, though humility may often seem unsettling and may leave us feeling a little off balance, at least we can leave knowing that we didn't destroy everything. We demonstrated self-control and chose to work for the overall good of the situation, then just for the satisfaction of keeping our pride intact. It's interesting how conflicts with others can leave us in a conflict with ourselves.
I don't really have any conclusions about this... yet. HAHA. God is teaching me a lot about forgiveness these days, and with forgiveness comes humility. I doubt that God will ever be finished with me in this area, as I can be quite prideful and stubborn most of the time. But I am interested to see how certain situations in my life pan out with this new knowledge of what it means to be humble. The most interesting part will be seeing how trying to be humble with affect my relationships with others over the coming weeks and months. I'll be sure to keep you posted.
For now, hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is looking to a New Year with fresh starts. A post about my New Years Resolutions coming soon! :)
peace through love, Kait
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