“Be ‘humble,’ never saying or doing anything that might sound too dogmatic, for you really can’t know anything with certainty or confidence.”Those who promote such perverse versions of humility are amazingly confident that they can and should maintain such a view. They are certain that we cannot be certain about anything. Huh?
Of course if you break into the homes of such relativists, if you over charge their credit cards, underestimate their accomplishments, oppose their ideas, damage their automobiles, or a whole host of other things, it becomes incredibly self-evident that we can be certain about at least some things.
Humility, of course, is a wonderful and biblical trait, an attitude we must all seek and sustain. But humility is not to be confused with stupidity or dressed up arrogance. Indeed, humility, above all else, is a willingness to see ourselves as we are, creatures dependent upon the Creator, imperfect individuals who must trust in the only perfect One, often bumbling idiots in constant need of wisdom, strength, and grace.
False humility, however, is not good or noble. Though we must always retain an openness to change and a willingness to correct our often mistaken perspectives, true humility must not be mistaken for the ultimately arrogant position that nothing at all can be known with confidence and, therefore, nothing is truly worth fighting for. When we violate common-sense and dismiss truth, we are not demonstrating humility. Rather, we are minimizing or ignoring the very basis on which we can seek true humility in the first place.
“Lord, enable us to walk humbly with you and one another, but keep us from the politically correct and cowardly attitude of false humility. Keep us, in other words, from the pride that masquerades as humility.”
