Walk Humbly with Your God
Humility is a treasure that simply cannot be overstated. It is rare, however, that we actively pray for it because, quite frankly, the best way to achieve it is to be pushed down, rejected, set aside, kicked, ignored, discounted, overlooked, laughed at, spurned, and disdained. Rare is the person who willingly puts himself into positions of participating in these experiences, but the good news is, life itself provides the opportunities. As creatures of free will, we have the option of reacting however we choose, and our default, as humans, is to be angry, bitter, confused, and thirsting for revenge. Those of us who have lived through these reactions, however, know that they don’t solve the problem, and the person who winds up feeling the worst about it all, is ourselves. Once we have worked through the natural emotions that boil to the surface — and indeed, the best way to work through them is to present them before God, whether it is calmly (generally not so) or accompanied by shouting (He can handle it) — we are in a state of malleability in which the Master Potter can shape us into a better pot, one of clay, but capable of holding the richest treasures. The best thing that rejection and pain teach us is that the answer does not lie in the approbation, praises, and encomiums of men, but in the love and acceptance of God — and God does not encourage, foment, or preen our pride. He shows us who and what we are, and loves us through it all, not condemning, but encouraging; not censuring, but teaching. Walking humbly, with our God, is one of the best and most fulfilling things we can do.
