Have you ever asked, ‘How could God use someone like me?’ The Psalmist answers, ‘For his name’s sake’! Only one name counts and it’s not yours! With the same intensity that God hates pride, He loves humility. His Word says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6 NIV). So here are a few tips on staying humble.
First, evaluate yourself honestly. Don’t be like the beaver who told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of Hoover Dam, ‘No, I didn’t actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.’ The Bible says, ‘Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities’ (Romans 12:3-4 PHPS).
Second, learn to celebrate others. Paul writes, ‘don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves’ (Philippians 2:3 NLT). Every goal scored in life is usually a team effort. Be like the little boy who came home from the auditions for the school play and announced, ‘Mommy, I got the part. I have been chosen to sit in the audience and cheer.’ When you can do that, your head finally fits your hat size.
Finally, don’t announce your success before it occurs. ‘One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off’ (1 Kings 20:11 NIV). When one of Charles Spurgeon’s students proudly stepped up to preach, but came back down having failed miserably, Spurgeon supposedly said something like, ‘If you had gone up the way you came down, you would have come down the way you went up.’
God blesses our efforts only when they are done ‘for his name’s sake’.
