A Leader (pt 3).... is Humble

Because of the Power and Authority that had been given to Paul, he warned us.

"Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourself, measuring yourself by the faith that God has given you."

Two men were at an altar praying one night. One caught a glimpse of the other who looked beaten down, disturbed, and bothered. In fact he even recognized him.

"I know him, I know his story. WOW! Can't believe he's here. God thank you, that I am not as bad as that guy. I pray daily, fast weekly, follow all of your commands to a T, and give exactly ten percent of everything."

The other young man in his shame, would barely lift his head in prayer. Uttering only a few humble words.

"Oh God! Please have mercy on me a sinner!"

How many times do we think ourselves better than we should. In my last post I stated that leaders sometime seek an entitlement for what we think we deserve. We hold ourselves to OUR OWN standards in comparison to others instead of holding ourselves up to HIS standards. Obviously we know that we can never fully meet the Perfect Holy standard that our God sets, we know that. Yet at the same time we place ourselves in categories above others, because we meet our criteria for Holy. At the end of this parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus quotes,

"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Jesus uses another great teaching moment at a party to illustrate this point in choosing humility over recognition.

Luke 14:7-11
⁷ When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: ⁸ “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? ⁹ The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

¹⁰ “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. ¹¹ For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

That is probably one of the worst, if not the worst, feelings in the world. To think you are the man, people noticing you, getting attention and recognition, everything is going as planned.

BAMM!

Someone walks in and bursts that bubble. OUCH! Embarrassing right?, Not only that, but as a leader, those that you serve will begin to think that the motive for doing what you do is only to move up a seat at the table. When that happens you loose respect and influence. In reality you are actually moving down a seat or two at the Leadership Round Table.

A balloon deflated by the one who inflated it, is not as loud and noticeable as someone else bursting it. Let a little air out of your balloon before someone pops it.