Hello Folks!
I know everyone is going to groan... "NOT AGAIN!!!", but I wanted to talk about modesty of a different kind.
We've talked at length about modesty in appearance and manner of clothing... But what about modesty when it comes to things like money, family background, knowledge in a certain field, or intellect?
I'm thinking of things such as... The kid who is from the richest family in town (and there's nothing wrong with that), BUT, this person also never fails to let everyone know it. Or what about the person who is always showing off how much money they have, whether it's through what they buy or what they say: "Yeah, I had $10,000 worth of extras put on this car, but it was nothing..." when the person they're talking to is wondering how they're going to pay an unexpected bill for $50.
How about the person who is always Smarter Than Everyone Else (or thinks they are) and never misses an opportunity (or rather, never fails to create an opportunity) in which they can show off exactly how much they know about something, including Biblical knowledge?
Or what about the person who, because they have a talent in a certain area, looks down on others for not having the same kind of knowledge or experience? I'm thinking in particular of a couple of posters several years ago who wrote a few posts in which they were looking down their noses at people who are "uneducated" and have such "limited" vocabularies.
Now, I'm guessing they were talking about the English vocabulary. And for someone who knows a lot of words, that's incredible! But what about someone who knows "only" 5,000 words... in four different languages? (That "someone" would NOT be me, by the way, but rather, one of my siblings... Who learned all this long before he got his college degrees and whom I'm also sure knows just as many English words as these guys thought they did.)
Now, I AM NOT SAYING at all that it's wrong to have money, a pedigree, or a brain that's chock-full of information. But what I am saying is... I personally think it's wrong to act as if everyone needs to know it, and, most of all, I believe it's wrong to look down at other people who don't have the things they might be especially blessed in.
I once had a first date (and this would be another reason why I call myself the Queen of First Dates) with someone who was, without a doubt, highly intelligent, whether it came to mechanics or nuclear subs or studying the Bible in its original languages. But he spent pretty much the entire time telling me just how smart he was... and by the end of an hour (have I ever mentioned that I have a fairly high pain threshold), I was ready to be around... Well... a lot less smart-ness, if you will. In that entire time, I think he might have asked maybe one question about me, and it was so mundane that I can't even remember what he asked me. And it was quite obvious that he saw me as being... someone below his level. He automatically took on the role of Teacher and assumed me to be the Student (who needed to be schooled in how vastly talented he was, apparently.)
In contrast, I'm thinking of a friend of mine who always struggled in school, but can fix most anything. His workshop is filled with everything from computer printers to lawnmowers to sinks. When I compliment his amazing ability, he credits growing up spending weekends with his dad rebuilding things, and simply shrugs, saying, "I just like figuring out how things work."
How can we show modesty when it comes to what we have, whether it be in our wallets or in our heads? I'm always amazed by some people who show off how much money they have (or think they have--anyone can have a high credit limit), and then complain about how many people come to them or use them for money.
As for "superior intellect", I will never forget a conversation I had with a top psychiatrist in my home state. He was telling me about all the highly-educated people he sees in his practice who are suffering from severe depression, disorders, and breakdowns, in contrast to others with what we often see as "handicaps", but who move past things much more quickly.
"How is it," he said, "that God seems to give some of us a few extra brain cells... and yet we somehow manage to mess it all up?"
I also think of a story I read about a woman who was married to a man who was an expert in many things. He had several advanced degrees and was looked up to as one of the most respected people in his field. Whenever they attended social or professional events, his wife was upset because her husband was often silent around groups of people who all talked about how much they knew. She berated him for "not trying to show off" what he knew as well.
He told her with a shrug, "I already know what I know. I'm trying to listen to other people so that I can find out what THEY know, and maybe learn something new for myself as well!"
This is my kind of person!
Sure... someone may have a LOT of blessings... But how can they choose to be genuinely modest about them?
I guess to me, a modest person is someone who uses what they have responsibly, helps others when they can, and is very humble about it. They don't look down at other people and consider themselves to be "just one of the crowd." And even if they do have a lot in life or a lot of knowledge, they never forget that they're still human, just like everyone else, and treat others with high esteem as well.
How about the rest of you? What are your examples, definitions, and opinions of modesty in other areas of life besides just appearance?
I know everyone is going to groan... "NOT AGAIN!!!", but I wanted to talk about modesty of a different kind.
We've talked at length about modesty in appearance and manner of clothing... But what about modesty when it comes to things like money, family background, knowledge in a certain field, or intellect?
I'm thinking of things such as... The kid who is from the richest family in town (and there's nothing wrong with that), BUT, this person also never fails to let everyone know it. Or what about the person who is always showing off how much money they have, whether it's through what they buy or what they say: "Yeah, I had $10,000 worth of extras put on this car, but it was nothing..." when the person they're talking to is wondering how they're going to pay an unexpected bill for $50.
How about the person who is always Smarter Than Everyone Else (or thinks they are) and never misses an opportunity (or rather, never fails to create an opportunity) in which they can show off exactly how much they know about something, including Biblical knowledge?
Or what about the person who, because they have a talent in a certain area, looks down on others for not having the same kind of knowledge or experience? I'm thinking in particular of a couple of posters several years ago who wrote a few posts in which they were looking down their noses at people who are "uneducated" and have such "limited" vocabularies.
Now, I'm guessing they were talking about the English vocabulary. And for someone who knows a lot of words, that's incredible! But what about someone who knows "only" 5,000 words... in four different languages? (That "someone" would NOT be me, by the way, but rather, one of my siblings... Who learned all this long before he got his college degrees and whom I'm also sure knows just as many English words as these guys thought they did.)
Now, I AM NOT SAYING at all that it's wrong to have money, a pedigree, or a brain that's chock-full of information. But what I am saying is... I personally think it's wrong to act as if everyone needs to know it, and, most of all, I believe it's wrong to look down at other people who don't have the things they might be especially blessed in.
I once had a first date (and this would be another reason why I call myself the Queen of First Dates) with someone who was, without a doubt, highly intelligent, whether it came to mechanics or nuclear subs or studying the Bible in its original languages. But he spent pretty much the entire time telling me just how smart he was... and by the end of an hour (have I ever mentioned that I have a fairly high pain threshold), I was ready to be around... Well... a lot less smart-ness, if you will. In that entire time, I think he might have asked maybe one question about me, and it was so mundane that I can't even remember what he asked me. And it was quite obvious that he saw me as being... someone below his level. He automatically took on the role of Teacher and assumed me to be the Student (who needed to be schooled in how vastly talented he was, apparently.)
In contrast, I'm thinking of a friend of mine who always struggled in school, but can fix most anything. His workshop is filled with everything from computer printers to lawnmowers to sinks. When I compliment his amazing ability, he credits growing up spending weekends with his dad rebuilding things, and simply shrugs, saying, "I just like figuring out how things work."
How can we show modesty when it comes to what we have, whether it be in our wallets or in our heads? I'm always amazed by some people who show off how much money they have (or think they have--anyone can have a high credit limit), and then complain about how many people come to them or use them for money.
As for "superior intellect", I will never forget a conversation I had with a top psychiatrist in my home state. He was telling me about all the highly-educated people he sees in his practice who are suffering from severe depression, disorders, and breakdowns, in contrast to others with what we often see as "handicaps", but who move past things much more quickly.
"How is it," he said, "that God seems to give some of us a few extra brain cells... and yet we somehow manage to mess it all up?"
I also think of a story I read about a woman who was married to a man who was an expert in many things. He had several advanced degrees and was looked up to as one of the most respected people in his field. Whenever they attended social or professional events, his wife was upset because her husband was often silent around groups of people who all talked about how much they knew. She berated him for "not trying to show off" what he knew as well.
He told her with a shrug, "I already know what I know. I'm trying to listen to other people so that I can find out what THEY know, and maybe learn something new for myself as well!"
This is my kind of person!
Sure... someone may have a LOT of blessings... But how can they choose to be genuinely modest about them?
I guess to me, a modest person is someone who uses what they have responsibly, helps others when they can, and is very humble about it. They don't look down at other people and consider themselves to be "just one of the crowd." And even if they do have a lot in life or a lot of knowledge, they never forget that they're still human, just like everyone else, and treat others with high esteem as well.
How about the rest of you? What are your examples, definitions, and opinions of modesty in other areas of life besides just appearance?
