Week 2: HUMILITY
Definition: A modest or low view of one's importance; humbleness.
Read: Philippians 2:3-11, Luke 14:11, John 3:30
I got my start in youth ministry at a small church in Indiana. When we started, we had eight students in junior high and high school combined. I naively thought that all the ministry needed to grow, was me. I could bring great programming and messages, and surely that would grow the ministry. Man, I was wrong. The first month was hard. I had no clue what I was doing. Luckily, I had some mentors who helped open my eyes to the things that make a youth ministry truly successful.
About a year after I first started, we were averaging a large number of students on Wednesday nights. We went from a group of eight to a group of 60. It was awesome, and I wanted everyone to know about it. The following Sunday I went to church and was approached by a couple of members. They asked the simple question, "How are students growing?" My response should have entailed the spiritual growth we have seen, not the numerical one. Sadly, the numbers are what I decided to focus on. I told them that I had grown the ministry to over 60 students, because of MY programming and MY teaching. The look they gave me was one I will never forget.
After church I went back to my one-bedroom apartment, feeling ashamed of my description of the ministry. I focused on me rather than what the Lord was doing. I asked God to give me a spirit of humility, and He did. The next Wednesday, we had 12 students show up. Even though the following week we were back to our normal size, God showed me that for Him to bless my ministry, it had to be all about Him. So that day, I made a promise always to give God the glory and not to give myself any credit for what He does through my calling. After being in ministry now for 11 years, that was the greatest lesson I have ever learned. It was less about me, and more about Him. He must increase, and I must decrease.
According to a study done by Scientific America, your favorite thing to talk about is you. They give a lot of reasons, but the main one is pride. Pride is defined as "a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's achievements."
You talk about yourself because a part of you wants other people to know you exist and that your life is important. Your life is important, but only because God uses that life to bring Him glory. Let me be clear: it is OK to talk about yourself when it's done in a meaningful context. But it's not OK when the sole motivation is to put an achievement of yours on display.
In James 4:6, James writes, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
Another avenue where you may often promote yourself is on social media. However, it's likely that you only post the good things about your life. How often do you post a picture of yourself in the midst of heartbreak or after falling in to sin? Probably never, because you don't post things that don't portray the appearance of a perfect life.
Take a few moments to answer the following questions. Remember, these questions are designed to challenge you and will do so only if you are completely honest with yourself.
Reflection
- For you personally, why do you feel like you talk about yourself a lot?
- Do you know someone who constantly talks about themselves? What is your perception of that person, and is it possible that you could be that person?
- What other avenues, besides talking, do you promote yourself?
When you learn to be humble, you will begin to understand that your life belongs to Jesus and He has total control over it. You start to become slow to speak and quick to listen. Instead of saying, "Guess what I did?" you ask, "How are you?" You begin to put other people's needs above of your own. You become teachable instead of prideful. When you choose humility, you are not the center of the universe. When you are humble, you are honoring God to the highest degree.
The Challenge
- Go the entire day without using the words: I, me, my, or mine. (This includes social media, texting, or any other avenue). If there is a situation that comes up, like a conversation with your parents, then that is fine.
- Put the needs of others above your own.
End of Week Reflection
- How did this challenge make you shine?
- What was the most difficult part of this challenge for you?
- What was the most rewarding part of this challenge for you?
- How do you feel this challenge grew your relationship with Jesus?
- How can you use what you learned through this challenge to shine daily?