#10 - humility

Again and again I am reminded that I cannot (nor should I try), to do it all on my own.

This is quite a challenging statement for some to grasp. The belief that, as a human, I do not have the ability to control the things around me regardless of how hard I try, is hard to follow through at times. We have all experienced this belief that we've "got it all together." But the reality is, we don't. We are broken human beings in need of love, support, and people. We are called to recall the one who does have it all together: Jesus. The simple act of calling on his name may be the very thing that brings you to your knees.

Today, I was humbly reminded that I am young, I am learning, and I need to be flexible with the circumstances that I find myself in at any given time. I find myself at a point in my life where I am (again) learning how to be "content" without having a road map. A friend once put it like this: "I need to trust that the pilot of a plane knows how to fly the plane better than I do. Will I trust the pilot or my own devices?" In a similar way, I need to trust in Jesus - to get me through life's challenging obstacles, to rejoice at the tops of mountain peaks, and to weep alongside the feet of those who are experiencing deep sorrow.

In some ways, humility can be likened to that of a group task. Humility takes support and a lowering of oneself - a wiping away of all standards that you have set in an effort to see things from a completely different perspective. The support of a trusted community AND the encouragement of that particular group of people is so important and vital to your growth as a person. I would argue, in fact, that humility needs both a lessening of oneself and encouragement (or reminders of who you are - identity) in order to fully blossom. Your trusted community of family, friends, coworkers, spouse - they all need to remind you of your place in the world, they need to encourage you, and they need to remind you of your identity. For followers of Jesus, it is reminding yourself through scripture, accountability, people, etc. that you are, indeed, a daughter or a son of God, the Creator of the world. Regardless of your spiritual journey, I would humbly suggest to you that we are all in need of some restructuring of our positions in society every now and then, as well as the continual support and encouragement from family.

Peace.