Humility is so rarely spoken of that many people tend to incorrectly equate it with humiliation, or the painful act of “being humbled.” To be humbled or humiliated means to be brought low or even embarrassed by another person or by God.
Depending on the situation, being humbled or humiliated can be either a painful, traumatic experience, or it can be a gateway to growth. The key to growth is our willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us about ourselves.
I have occasionally stepped on people’s toes with my words; I have made mistakes while playing flute, guitar, singing, and directing; and sometimes, when gung-ho about an idea, I have been shot down by church leaders. You may think that these are excellent reasons to sit back and watch others serve God instead of trying again myself. One of my inspirations is a young girl. At one church we served, we used to have a group of children sing during the adult choir’s Christmas cantata. One year, a young girl fell off of the risers in the middle of a song. She was mortified but got back up on the riser and continued singing (while sniffling). The entire church admired this girl and learned a powerful lesson about humiliation (the accident) and the humility of serving God (getting back up and continuing).