Although I’ve mentioned my word-nerdiness in posts like Disrobing and Forest Bathing, I continue to be astonished when someone communicates an idea or concept that really resonates; it articulates accurately an impression that I’ve failed to convey with other words. And these moments truly leave me Respectfully Mystified when that theme is repeated from another source—perhaps an author, message, article, or song lyric—in a short period of time. On a walk early in the week, as Joel Thomas shared a message about the prophet Jonah, he revealed the meaning of the Hebrew word anavah to describe what had to happen with Jonah before he was able to navigate a turnaround which would place him in the proper path he had been avoiding.

Because I was listening to the message as I walked down the street and any attempt to create a digital note on my phone might lead me into the path of an oncoming car, I was unaware of the proper spelling; and although I often heard the phrase as a child when seeking the spelling of a word, “Look it up in the dictionary,” the reality is that you need a starting place, such as the first letter! Add to my conundrum that my grasp of Hebrew is extremely limited, I pondered just how I was going to approach engaging in a word study of anavah. But never fear, we always have the internet. A few minutes online led me to Dave Adamson’s popular explanation.

With the concept of humility arising often on this journey to discover the Habits of a Flourishing Life, I was deeply intrigued by Adamson’s perspective. “The Hebrew word anavah is what we translate as ‘humility,’ but the literal definition of anavah is to occupy your God-Given Space in the world—not to overestimate yourself or your abilities, but to not underestimate them either…Growing up, I was taught that humility was thinking less of yourself…But anavah is about being aware of and comfortable with your place. When we do this, we don’t take up so much space that it squeezes others out, and we don’t take up so little space that our responsibilities fall to others.” What a well-balanced way for me to explain to Emerging Adults what it means to live a flourishing life! Currently, I think anavah might capture the essence of a properly balanced approach to the on-going need to continually cultivate healthy, flourishing habits.

Thomas, Adamson, and several others point us the truth of Scripture to aid us in understanding this idea of God-Given Space in books such as Proverbs and Micah, but it’s the Hasidic teaching that illustrates best, to me, this idea of properly balancing our God-Given Space. “The observance of anavah should not lead one to belittle oneself. Even in the quest for humility, there needs to be a balance with self-esteem and confidence…Rabbi Bunim taught: ‘Every person should have two pockets. In one pocket should be a piece of paper saying: ‘I am but dust and ashes.’ When one is feeling too proud, reach into this pocket and take out this paper and read it. In the other pocket should be a piece of paper saying: ‘For my sake was the world created.’ When one is feeling disheartened and lowly, reach into this pocket and take this paper out and read it. We are each the joining of two worlds. We are fashioned from clay, but our spirit is the breath of Adonai.’”

I may not opt to carry these paper messages in my pockets; however, I should be inclined to perhaps remember a phrase that I think captures this idea: A flourishing life is one where a person occupies their God-Given Space appropriately. Just think of how different our culture could be if we all sought to live out a balanced life of anavah, of seeking to cultivate Relational Equity through this perspective of proper humility!

References:

Adamson, D. (2019, July 29). Anavah. Radical Mentoring. Retrieved from https://radicalmentoring.com/anavah/

Be Stirred. Not Shaken. (2020, August 1). Occupying your God-given space: Humility in a Self-Esteem World. Retrieved from https://bestirrednotshaken.com/christian-living/humility-bible-anavah-meaning/

Thomas, J. (2022, July 24). Navigating a Turn Around, Part 3: Leveling Up. Northpoint Community Church. Retrieved from https://northpoint.org/messages/navigating-a-turnaround/leveling-up