Many people ask me this very question, and I understand why. Deep down, we want to live in a way that honors God — not hiding in fear, yet not exalting ourselves. It is a tension we all feel: the desire to be small before God, but brave for His Kingdom. And the beautiful thing is that Scripture never asks us to choose one or the other; it asks us to hold both.
When I think of humility, I think of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. He knew exactly who He was — the Son of God — and because of that certainty, He could stoop low without losing His dignity. That is the secret: true humility begins not with self-doubt, but with confidence in the Father’s love. When we know who we are in God’s eyes, we no longer need to prove ourselves.
Courage, on the other hand, grows from trust. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells His friends, “Do not be afraid,” not because danger is absent but because He is present. The Church teaches us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the grace to act in spite of it. Courage is the quiet strength that rises when our hearts remember that God walks ahead of us, strengthening each step.
What this means for us is simple but not easy. Humility asks us to let go of our need to be seen, praised, or always right. Courage asks us to speak truth, to love when it is costly, and to choose the good even when it is difficult. And both come alive when we place our lives in God’s hands each morning, whispering, “Lord, guide my steps and steady my heart.”
When you practice humility without losing the truth of who you are — God’s beloved — and when you choose courage without forgetting your dependence on Him, you begin to live the way Jesus lived. In small daily acts — a gentle word, a quiet sacrifice, a brave stand for what is right — the two become one path leading you closer to His heart.
Reflection
May the Lord give you a heart both tender and strong — humble enough to serve, courageous enough to follow wherever He calls. In that balance, you will find His peace.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
