i am not humble.
a while back i said this on twitter…
ive learned in social media. i dont avoid “popular” ppl cuz theyre popular. i dont talk 2 them different cuz theyre “popular”. theyre equal.
then, a couple days later i heard francis chan speak at catalyst, via the net, and he says this…
humble yourself. can you forget for one second that youre a leader. remember that we are but one breath away from God and we all have that in common.
i immediately jotted down what he said and tucked it away. i just ran by this again and i love it even more the second time around.
do we really believe we are equal? are we living as if we’re superior to others?
honestly, i sometimes catch myself responding to life, people, this way. it is a true ugly i occasionally bear. and at the moment, i am trying to find the perfect word to express my disgust at this. ick and eewww are all i can come up with.
but you know…i see this in me. i see this attitude in my family. i see it in others every single day. i see it in the church. i see it on twitter, blogs…everywhere. i believe its something we all struggle with. i also believe it can be one of the most damaging parts of our character. damaging to others…and to ourselves.
unfortunately, we’re more likely not to address it until we have to…until we’re called out. well, im calling myself out right now. id rather do it than you do it for me. although, if you called me on this-as uncomfy as it would be-i would receive it and be unable to deny its truth. but im doing it first, thankyousokindly.
i read somewhere recently that we should never look down on anyone…unless we’re helping them up.
i guess im more attuned to this right now while extra attention and emphasis are being made on Christs humble entry into our world. the ultimate picture of humility and grace.
who am i to believe that i am above His honor?
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.”
– George Washington Carver
inProgress 
my tendency is to look at myself far lower than others. so remembering our equality and that we’re all “but one breath away from God” is, for me, more about the lessons He’s been teaching me regarding my value and worth.
but it’s all two sides of the same coin.
you are so right. there is definitely the flip side to all of this. both being debilitating. i wish finding the balance was easier.
When we were studying “The Search for Significance” in LGO, half of us tended toward the superiority thing, while the other half tended to inferiority like Alece.
What we all failed to do all the time was recognise equality. Hopefully we’re getting more equal as we hold each other accountable.
thanks for explaining that for me, David. that is totally what i thought of when i read this.
thank you for this perspective, Tam!
equality. i do wish we could all see that thats what we are. no higher, no lower.
God brought me back to humility in the form of addicition at the age of 50. I wasn’t one of those people who did drugs! I don’t drink. Didn’t run with the stoners in high school (way back before you were born). Never even tried it. Didn’t interest me. Then I had 3 back surgeries. I got lost for a few years. But, I have never “forgotten” God and NEVER blamed Him for my addiction. I made the choice (in a warped, rational sort of way). I wouldn’t be who I am today at 52, if I hadn’t gone thru this experience. I had forgotten Spiritual principles. I had forgotten how to pray without my fingers crossed behind my back. And yet God was still there for me. Because He had never left. That selective listening works with God, too! My whole point is this. I look at everyone with different eyes today. It is not for me to judge or deem myself dictator over anyone! I am commanded to love like Christ would love. Everyone. I can’t pick & choose. I don’t have to like everyone, but I do have to love them. Or the message of that love of God seems murky. I don’t like to treat everyone equally darn it! But, I make more of an effort. For the person who flips me off in traffic. For the person who “cuts” in line. For the person who has 11 items at the 10 items or less check-out! I don’t know what kind of day they are having. Not in that split second we are having together. Great subject. Great reminder. Francis Chan rocks.
wow. just wow. you could teach a whole message on this. what a great testimony.
In my life, let me call a spade a spade: I am gifted with many gifts. Few naturally, some trained and a buttload from the Spirit.
In order for me to be a great steward of what has been given to me, I must first recognized the gifts that God has given me. Every good and perfect gift comes from God.
That said, you know what keeps me humbled?
In one fell swoop, I could have my body and mind disabled. In just one thought, the Holy Spirit could very easily take His gifts back and bestow them on 10 other people.
If my tongue is removed, my heart is slain, my joy crushed, my will broken: I hope and pray to God that I will still praise and glorify His beautiful and holy name forever.
Let my life be counted as nothing. I will always have my God.
i love your heart, brother!
I think in an effort to not engage in superiority I tend too much to the inferiority which doesn’t work either. I like the idea of equality. It puts us all on equal footing and the fact is we are all equal. Thank you for the honesty of this post and the fresh perspective.
“the fact is we are all equal.”
youre right. and i suppose, this side of heaven, we will all struggle with accepting that. so…as best as we can – we need to mindful of our position daily. not above or beneath – but side by side.
and your picture, smile, makes me happy.
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I appreciate your honesty about this. I think any of us who serve or have ever served as a leader can attest to struggling with this at some point. I think authenticity and honesty about these types of things…HELPS us to be humble. Our gifts and callings are without repentance. We need God just as much as the next person
i agree. it is a bit more of a struggle when youre a leader, or in a leadership role. and sometimes…its others who build the pedestal for us. yet…its us who willingly sit upon it. dang pride š
I see myself in so many layers (or sentences in this post or even in the comments). This is something I really need to think and pray about. I think you opened a can of worms in my heart.
Thanks for “nailing” me.
Love you.
i love you. i love your servant heart. ive never seen an air of superiority in you. you embrace everybody. i love it!
iamnothumbleeither
ouch
we need to start a support group. and we can fight over who can lead it. ha!
Humility doesn’t take pride in being humble.
“I’m more humble-er than you are. Na-na-na-na-boo-boo. I’m the mostest humblest…”
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whose quote is that?
“Na-na-na-na-boo-boo.” is crackin me up.
Not really anybody’s quote, just an expression of how I’m usually so doggone proud of being humble.
I think people who have to constantly tell people how humble they are have serious pride issues. Humility is something that is obvious that does not need confirmation from others. God has done alot of stripping in my life this year, and hopefully that has produced humility within me, and other “Godly characteristics” in my life that I so desperately need. It has helped me a great deal to not be “on” for awhile, trying to find the balance as a worship leader is a constant struggle for me.
I think a good measure for me at the end of the day is, did I give and reach out more than was given to me, and was it done privately between me and God or did I have a need to tell everyone? Humility comes for me, by realizing I can’t even wake up in the morning without Him, I truly am nothing without my God.
“and was it done privately between me and God or did I have a need to tell everyone?”
ok. that is a pet peeve of mine. and i see it a lot. not in YOU, i just see it around. and im trying not to “judge” the act when i see it happen but instead hope the impact of the action is what matters most.
and that all made much more sense in my head.
Oh, I’m sure you’ve seen this plenty in me… š I expect you to call me out anytime sista….
After knowing you for so long now Tam, I still love the “huh-wuh” look you get on your face when someone pays you a compliment…. love u
I’ve read this a couple of times now and finally decided to go ahead and send this link (let’s consider it a “Pimp Your Post” since I don’t usually participate…k? š )…
It fits, I think.
Love you, TammyJo! š
love you too, red!!
Lord, it’s hard to be humble…when you’re perfect in every way.
I can’t wait to look in the mirror; I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me; I must be one hell of a man.
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble; but I’m doing the best that I can.
I used to have my kids do a role play in youth group/Sunday School. I’d assign each one a ‘role’ of someone society (or really us Christians) looks down upon; a homesexual, a “ho fo sho”, an alcoholic, a druggie. Then I’d add a couple like captain of the football team, head cheerleader, nerd, goody-goody, and a “christian” or two – youth group attendee, church goer.
Finally, one kid got to play the role of God.
I’d then ask the kids to collectively rank the folks in order of who they think is was closest to God down to who was farther away. They generally spent a couple minutes arguing over positions – but eventually would line everyone up in a long row according to their perception of “closeness” to God.
Then, I would rearrange everyone in the order that God sees them. To do this, I would have all the players form a semi-circle around God so that everyone was an equal distance away from God.
It was always a great visual for understanding our place before God.
i love this, Bad! this is something every youth group…um, church, should be doing!