Matthew 5:5

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”

Mother Teresa taught the world a great deal about humility. She gave us a wonderful example of what it looks like to be humble through her costly service to the most rejected and unloved members of society. But she also offered us many wise words on the subject. In her famous ‘humility list’ she said: “Learn to be humble by doing all the humble work and doing it for Jesus. You cannot learn humility from books; you learn it by accepting humiliations. Humiliations are not meant to torture us; they are gifts from God. These little humiliations—if we accept them with joy—will help us to be holy, to have a meek and humble heart like Jesus.”

Humility lies at the heart of the kingdom of God. Jesus once told his disciples that the only way to enter the kingdom was to become as humble as a child (Matthew 18:4). They were still looking for power and influence, but Jesus wanted to turn their thinking upside down. We only serve God effectively by giving up all thoughts of our own advancement and seeking to strengthen and bless others. Mother Teresa has left us a really helpful humility list that offers us an excellent way of checking whether we are really growing in humility. Here are five items from her list. 1. Speak as little as possible about yourself. 2. Accept small irritations with good humour. 3. Do not dwell on the faults of others. 4. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded. 5. Do not seek to be admired and loved. I love these simple, practical challenges. They clearly illustrate that humility is the path for those who long to see the kingdom of God become a reality here and now and who are happy to accept a huge challenge.

When writing to the Colossian church, the apostle Paul wrote: “Clothe yourselves…in humility” (Colossians 3:12). Living humbly needs to be so natural to us that wherever we go and whatever we do humility is always an integral part of our daily life.

Question

Which of Mother Teresa’s five challenges do you find most relevant to you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus thank you for the humility that you showed in your earthly life. Help me day by day to learn more about the joy of living humbly. Amen