What is humility?

Plaques and signs are good reminders of important ‘notes to self,’ they were used in ancient times and are still used today.

This Egyptian plaque might have been a ‘note to self’ for a prince or scribe, reminding him of the importance of a good wife to protect him from serpents and hawks.

A good AA friend had a plaque made which he glued to the dashboard of his car. It was a ‘note to self,’ a daily reminder of something he had to think about; it read, “Be Grateful.”

Dr. Bob had one, in his office, he had a plaque, and on the plaque, he had engraved the following ‘note to self’ on humility.

Humility is perpetual quietness of heart.

It is to have no trouble.

It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.

It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised.

It is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble.

The language on the plaque is not a definition of humility; it is how he feels if he possesses humility. It is both a promise of personal hope and a test of subjective reality. It is a promise of hope because this is what you will feel if you are living in humility. It is a test of reality because if you are not feeling these attributes, you are not living in humility.

I might have two plaques made: a gratitude reminder for my car and a humility reminder for my desk. I don’t need a third to remind me of the value of a good wife; for me, that is a living fact.