I have made all these things. "That is why all these things have come into being" declares the Lord. I will pay attention to those who are humble and sorry [for their sins] and tremble at my word. -- Isaiah 66:2

Humility ~ Vulnerability

Living in the world of an eating disorder occurs in the dark. We use the darkness to hide our secret, our hurts, faults, fears, failures and flaws. God wants us to come out of the dark - into the daylight. When we enter daylight, we bring all of them out into the open and admit who we really are. This requires not only courage but the ability to be authentic and real. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt all over again. Why should you take this risk? Because it's the ONLY way to heal and stop the cycle (emotional healing), as well as grow spiritually. The Bible says, "make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed."

Humility is not thinking less of yourself - it's thinking of yourself less
Ego, smugness, pride, envy and jealousy destroy relationships faster than anything else. Pride builds walls between people, humility builds bridges. Humility is the oil that smoothes and soothes relationships. The Bible says, "Cloth yourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble". The proper dress is a humble attitude. And pride blocks God's grace in our lives, which we must have in order to grow, change, heal, and help others.

Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses.

Vulnerability is emotionally liberating! It opens up stress, fears and is your step to freedom. Vulnerability is an endearing quality since we are all drawn to people humble people. "Pretentiousness repels - Authenticity attracts" -- Rick Warren.

We receive God's grace by humbly admitting that we need it. The Bible says that anytime we are prideful, we are living in opposition to God. What a stupid and dangerous way to live. The Bible says, "Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other." We all have quirks and annoying traits. The basis for our relationships is our relationship with God. We're all family. One key to understanding courtesy is to understand where people are coming from. Discover their history. When you understand what they've been through, you can be more understanding.

As you think of those that have hurt you, and you think about yourself, don't think how far you (or they) still have to go, but how far you have come in spite of the hurts.

Arrogance comes, then comes shame, but wisdom remains with the humble people. --Proverbs 11:2

More insight on humility in Step 3

 Guidelines For Prayer ~ Who is God?
 Content inspired from "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren.