Humble Pie

Okay, so yesterday in church my pastor taught about humility and its importance. Now, if I'm honest with myself and you, I can recall a few times where I needed to eat not just a slice of humble pie, but the whole thing.

There was one time in particular where I was getting accolades for a play that I just performed in. Pride (and his subtle self) was just resting on my shoulders encouraging me to take all the glory. After the person walked away, I heard a voice inside me ask "Were you the only person in the play or did other people contribute to its success?" I dropped the smile from my face, went off to be by myself, and asked God to forgive me for being so prideful.

You see, I made the mistake that so many us make very often. I allowed myself to believe that it was all about me. I forgot that I wasn't the sole reason the play was a success. EVERYONE played a significant role in making the production a hit, which included the people on stage and off. In the bible there's two scriptures that I try to keep in the forefront of my mind whenever I do anything that may get positive feedback. The first is, "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished (Proverbs 16:5) and "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Simply put, if you're not careful pride can bring you down.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't take pride in anything. There are many things that we should take pride in like appearance, good work ethics, manners, etc. These things are almost expected, but we must remember that's its not always about us.

Life is about being a blessing to others as we get blessed. If we hold all the success to ourselves how can someone else become successful? Not doing anything out of your own selfish ambition or vain conceit - that's what we learned yesterday in church, and that's what humility is.

So, the next time you feel pride creeping up alongside you, walk away and go grab a slice of pie...Humble that is.

Be blessed
TAE