ShareI sense that there are some people who think I really have it all together, and that I really have life with God, my husband, my children and my work all figured out. So I try to spend a lot of time telling you how that’s not really true, because it’s not. But I’m not gonna lie. It is actually fun to put on lip gloss, smile for cameras, talk on radio shows, and generally have publishers/editors/publicists/agents tell you that you are a great writer. It’s fun to get reader comments about how the book has helped them (that’s more than just fun, it’s life-giving). And if I let that get to my head, my head is going to blow up and fly away. But thankfully, I have many, many opportunities to be humble every single day:
1. ”Mom, can you get me water? I need it before bed. (bring child water). “And I need ice in my water.” Um, yes, Your Highness.
2. “Hello, Eunice.” Nicole Eunice? Eunice Nicole? If ever I thought I was looking good, the person who mistakes my first name for Eunice fixes that REAL quick.
3. “Huh, you wrote a book? What’s your book about?” while rolling eyes away and looking bored very quickly.
4. “No one wants you to write another book because you haven’t sold enough books.” ARG, the publishing industry!
5. “You never want anyone to tell you what to do. And you need to put away your laundry.” It’s a pretty good thing that my man is handsome….
But here’s five real reasons why humble is good:
1. Because one of the greatest leaders in the Bible, Moses, was “a quietly humble man, more humble than any man on earth…” Numbers 12:3
2. God is near the humble in heart. Our hearing God is directly proportional to our desire to hear him, and our understanding that we can’t do it ourselves.
3. “The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help live in joy.” Psalm 69:32
4. Humility is the mark of a person who fears the Lord, seeks him for refreshment, and bears the fruit of joy. A truly joyful person is a truly humble person.
5. Because Jesus was the only person who had the right to be proud–all day, every day. Yet he voluntarily humbled himself, putting off his own rights. He led the way for us–for us who don’t even have a reason to be proud. But he knew our hearts, our quickness to ego and pride–and so he showed us that laying down our own demands, our own rights, is the only path to true joy. The next time you find yourself puffing up about your rights, or powering up about what you “deserve”: remember, humility is the path to joy.
