What a Conceited Eight-Year-Old Taught Me About Humility
By Kristen Terrette
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves …” Philippians 2:3
We used to jokingly call my son the most conceited eight-year-old we know. He was very confident and sure of his athletic skills, particularly in regard to basketball. A pick-up game in the driveway never failed to reveal his high opinion of himself.
But as his knowledge and understanding of team sports has progressed, we’ve watched him develop into a leader. Now he looks for ways to help his teammates score and is the first to congratulate those who execute a good play. Slowly, but steadily, my son is grasping the virtue of humility.
Paul urges this same type of unity for God’s team, His people, and commands us to “do nothing” out of vain motives. Living a life of humility is opposite of one that is full of selfishness and pride. Loving and valuing others so much we assist them in getting ahead goes against our self-driven and competitive culture.
Yet, as we honor others more than ourselves, unity results. My son unites his team every time he passes the ball to someone in a prime scoring position and whenever he pats the back of a player who scores or misses.
In Christ, we have a perfect example of humility. He humbled Himself to die on the cross for us—women who are tragically flawed. Knowing this should cause us to extend the same humble attitude toward others. This understanding can, and should, motivate us to fight against the culture and live with a humble mindset.
Use Christ’s selfless example to provoke you to live humbly every day. Look for ways to establish unity among God’s people by putting others first and celebrating their accomplishments.
Kristen Terrette holds a Master's degree in Theological Studies and served as a Children's Ministry Director for five years. She cherishes her Southern roots and currently lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. She’s following her dream by writing Christian during the day and being a wife and mom come early afternoon when the family starts to arrive home. She serves on the Wholly Loved Ministries team, serves at her local church on the women's leadership and teaching team, and writes for Crosswalk.com. To see her blog and novels, check out her website at www.kristenterrette.com.
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