What Do You Think of Yourself?

C.S.Lewis, one of Belfast’s most famous sons, said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” It’s true that as human beings we have the propensity to be proud and boastful, and see ourselves as the best thing since penicillin. But the truth is we suffer a lot with feelings of inferiority also. When we measure ourselves with others who are more talented, better looking, better off, smarter, more capable than us, when we do that, we simply don’t measure up.

But measuring ourselves against others isn’t the cleverest thing to do. We won’t get a true estimation of ourselves. Someone said if you measure yourself with a mountain you’ll feel like a molehill, but if you measure yourself with a mouse you’ll feel like a giant. It’s always the wrong yardstick. Lewis said, ““Humility is not thinking less of yourself…”

There is a scriptural way that we can think in a more balanced way about ourselves. Paul writing to his Christian business man friend Philemon, says “That the sharing of your faith may become more effectual by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”  (Philemon 1:6) But he does balance that up by saying “For through the grace given unto me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound (sober) judgement, as God allotted to each a measure of faith.”  (Romans 12:3) So while it is wrong to be constantly exalting ourselves above others, it’s equally wrong to be constantly belittling ourselves. One leads to a continually negative mindset, the other leads to superiority and pride.

The second part of the Lewis statement steers us well away from a prideful attitude. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” We can so easily become self-absorbed. Always thinking more of ourselves, or less of ourselves, will keep the focus on us. Let’s do as Paul says, acknowledge every good thing we have in Christ Jesus. That way, while we have something to boast about, our boast is not in ourselves but in the Lord. Paul had plenty he could have boasted about. He lists his religious, cultural and Jewish pedigree in Philippians Chapter 3:1-11. But he counted it as nothing that he might win Christ. At one point Paul called himself the least of the Apostles, who didn’t even deserve to be called an Apostle. (1 Cor. 15:9) Then he says he is less than the least of all the saints (Eph. 3:8)

He goes on to describe himself as the chief of sinners. (1 Tim.1:15) But then he balances the whole thing up by saying “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all” (1 Cor. 15:10), no false humility there. But then he puts it all into perspective by adding, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me.”

So perhaps Lewis was right. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” 

- Pastor David Goudy