Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourself.
My father would offer amusing, unapologetic opinions on any subject and seemed to believe that humility really just meant beating around the bush. On the other hand, my self-deprecating mother identifies humble speech with good manners. The question of how to speak with self-respect and humility becomes especially troublesome when the subject is religion.
The people of God have permanent cause for self-respect. We believe that God made us, loves us, finds us worthy of Christ’s life, his love, and his death. This belief should engender speech that demonstrates respect both for ourselves and for God, but it also compels humility. We have seen a glimpse of the light, but we do not comprehend the flame. A fleeting perception of a truth so infinitely larger than ourselves should render our religious speech exceptionally humble, rather than the reverse.
