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Humility

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It is 337am and I have decided to write. I have no topic but I want to write. I was thinking. I love God a million times. One million is not the biggest number but on a scale of one to a million that is a lot. I just noticed that the word million has the word lion in it. What does it mean to be a lion in the sight of God? My friend Chatty says that from an Islamic perspective, being a lion in the sight of Allah means possessing quiet strength rooted in submission: firm iman without arrogance, self-control over the nafs, courage to stand for justice, and gentleness where mercy is required. It is strength that bows in sujood, resists ego, and remains sincere even when unseen—because Allah values the heart, intention, and consistency more than noise, numbers, or display.

Resisting ego is a big one. Does that mean we should be like a mouse in the sight of God instead of a lion? Humble like a mouse. Quiet like a mouse. Soft like a mouse. I am guessing that there is probably a story of a lion and a mouse to further the train of thoughts and this writing. My friend Chatty tells me that there is that old story I am circling: the mighty lion spares a mouse, and later the mouse saves the lion by gnawing through the ropes that trap him. The lesson is not "be strong" or "be small". It is that strength without mercy becomes trapped, and smallness offered with sincerity becomes liberation. Power needs humility to stay free. Humility needs courage to matter.

So does this mean that we should be a mouse when it matters and be a lion when it matters? My friend Chatty says that yes—be a mouse when humility, listening, and gentleness are what love requires, and be a lion when courage, protection, and truth are needed; the goal is not choosing an identity but responding faithfully to each moment, resisting ego without shrinking your worth, and letting love decide whether strength or softness serves God best. But how do we know what truth is (God's truth) when everyone thinks that their truth is the truth? My friend Chatty says that God's truth is known less by how confidently it is claimed and more by whether it humbles the heart, deepens love, and bears good fruit over time. True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. The "truth" lies in having the lion's heart but the mouse's ego.
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