The Man Who Forgot Himself

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis paints a portrait of humility that overturns everything we expect. If you met a truly humble person, Lewis says, you probably wouldn't notice their humility at all. They wouldn't be the type to constantly insist they're nobody special. Instead, Lewis writes, the humble person would simply strike you as "a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him." And here is the key: "He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all."

This reframes everything. We tend to imagine humility as a performance — eyes downcast, compliments deflected, self-deprecation on repeat. But Lewis recognized that this is often just pride wearing a humble disguise. A person endlessly announcing their own unworthiness is still a person fixated on themselves. True humility, Lewis suggests, is the freedom of a heart so occupied with God and others that the self quietly slips from the center of attention.

Jesus embodied this perfectly. He washed His disciples' feet, touched lepers, and welcomed children — not because He was performing modesty, but because His attention was wholly given to the person before Him.

This week, notice where your thoughts naturally settle. Are they circling back to yourself — even in the form of self-criticism? The humble heart, Lewis reminds us, isn't one consumed with being small. It's one so full of love for the Almighty and for neighbor that it simply forgets to think about itself at all.