Rewarding Humility

Humility as a condition of one's heart and its expression in service to others are not heavy burdens. The way of imitation of our Lord is one of joy and fulfillment. Here lies one of the greatest paradoxes of our faith: by giving we receive, by becoming poor we obtain riches, by becoming humble we are exalted. As Nouwen points out in today's Lenten reading, a life of service is rewarding. He says,

"Joy and gratitude are the qualities of the heart by which we recognize those who are committed to a life of service in the path of Jesus Christ.... Wherever we see real service we also see joy, because in the midst of service a divine presence becomes visible and a gift is offered. Therefore, those who serve as followers of Jesus discover that they are receiving more than they are giving. Just as a mother does not need to be rewarded for the attention she pays to her child because her child is her joy, so those who serve their neighbor will find their reward in the people whom they serve. The joy of those who follow the Lord on his self-emptying and humbling way shows that what they seek is not misery and pain but the God whose compassion they have felt in their own lives: their eyes do not focus on poverty and misery, but on the face of the loving."