Humility

Our tendency is to be aware only of people who watch us. When you recognize that God is your audience and judge, it effects everything you do. All of life becomes a worship experience if you are always aware of God's presence and do everything to His glory. True worship means that your eyes are on God and not on others, He is your audience of One; everyone else is in the cast.

If God is the object of our worship, the source of our security and self worth, and our audience and authority, false pride and fear are replaced by humility and God-grounded confidence. Instead of being driven by pride and fear, our relationships and leadership will be renewed with humility and God-grounded confidence when we seek to exalt God only. The challenge is to understand the nature of the journey we must travel and then commit to taking the first steps.

Leading with humility requires knowing whose you are and who you are. You are called to be a good steward of your season of influence in service to a plan that was set in motion before you came on the scene. As a leadership trait, humility is a heart attitude that reflects a keen understanding of your limitations to accomplish something on your own. It gives credit to forces other than your own knowledge or effort when a victory is won or an obstacle overcome. According to Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, a leader with a humble heart looks out the window to find and applaud the true causes of success and in the mirror to find and accept responsibility for failure. A leader who does that is not coming from low self-esteem. In fact, people with humility don't think less of themselves; they just think of themselves less.

Jesus said to His disciples,"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

There is a difference between putting on an appearance of humility before others and being truly humble in the presence and purposes of God. You are not to be piously humble about what He has given you or what you have done. Fred Smith, in his book You and Your Network, says it well: "People with humility don't deny their power; they just recognize it passes through them, not from them.

The humility that Jesus demonstrated did not arise from lack of self-esteem, love, power, or ability. His humility came from the fact that He knew who He was, where He came from, where He was going, and whose He was. That permitted Him to treat people with love and respect.

Humility is realizing the importance of others, especially in our youth, our future. It is not putting yourself down; it is lifting others up. It is saying to yourself and others, "I am precious in God's sight-and so are you!"

God Matters