HUMILITY, DIGNITY & IDENTITY
There was a time in my life when I was uncommunicative; this earned me some respect due to my quiet nature. But out of conviction and admonition, I noticed that veneration without expression is not what I needed as a Christian. I needed to be open to enable people to freely express their issues with me and mine with them. Leading such a life required great humility and maintenance of dignity.
Jesus Christ demonstrated humility by dining with sinners and associating with people who virtually had no education and people of lower social status. He identified himself with mere men like us by describing himself as the “son of man” (Humility), yet, was not unmindful of his real identity, hence, describing himself sometimes as the “Son of God” (Identity).
4 things you have to know when leading a humble life.
I have found out from experience that in leading a humble life:
1. There will be people who will deliberately and proudly overlook your real identity. They will try to look down on you by handling you from the point of your humility like Pilate did. There will also be others who will be conscious of who you really are, thus, handle you with care and dignity like the people who shouted Hosanna to Jesus during his entry into Jerusalem, even though on a Donkey.
2. It is necessary to react to people from what is on the inside of you and not the outside; for the external is temporary but the internal is everlasting.
3. If you are not conscious of your identity or do not know who you really are, people will fashion out their own identity and dress you with it, making sure it fits you well.
4. God has deposited some unique gifts and qualities within some of us. It behoves us to protect these special gifts by maintaining some air of dignity around us and maintaining a marketable personality. Because no matter the quality of a product, it may not sell if it is badly branded.
Finally, I urge all those who have something to offer to their world, not to lose their dignity – for if you lose your dignity, you lose your influence; you lose your influence, you lose your office; you lose your office, you lose your value.
