You just finished leading a great meeting. Everyone was happy and happy with you. Several smiled and thanked you personally. At home you are feeling thankful for being able to lead. Then as you relax your mind starts wandering and thinking about what a great person you are. You are a fantastic leader, so much better than most…whoa! What happened here? You were just thinking about being thankful then you started getting delusions of grandeur. How quickly spiritual pride rears its head.
Scripture teaches that you have an old self, or “flesh” that you have to fight. This explains why these temptations and impulses rise up within us. We also have an Enemy that takes advantage of our old self. So we shouldn’t get discouraged by temptations to pride.
The early devout Christians considered pride the deadliest of enemies for those pursuing spiritual growth. They observed that once someone decides to seriously follow Jesus sensual desires aren’t as big a problem as spiritual pride. Once they are living a holy life they can easily begin to exalt themselves over others, even if only in their heart. This would torpedo their discipleship.
Thus, many teachers considered humility the most important virtue to pursue. Humility can be defined as an attitude of the heart that reflects who we are before God. The great 4th century spiritual writer Basil of Caesarea said that humility is the “virtue of virtues,” (On the Spirit 9.23.)
So how do I pursue humility? One way we develop humility is through suffering or failures in life. (This is the biggest way God has broken down my pride.) But what about those times when we aren’t suffering or failing? That is when we are more likely to embrace spiritual pride. Our periods of success can lull us into a false sense of spiritual safety.
Fortunately, there is a way to continuously nurture humility. We can cultivate attitudes that guard us against pride. Below are three attitudes based on three human occupations. If you learn to imagine yourself in these three roles you will find yourself maintaining a more humble heart.
Student Think of yourself as a student, not the master, always learning, even (especially?) from those less educated than yourself. By education I don’t necessarily mean formal education, rather, anyone who has learned a lot about scripture can be puffed up with pride. And anyone who finds themselves leading a successful ministry can develop a superiority complex because of their competency. But consider: what can you do without God, and what leader is done learning how to be a disciple of Christ? Instead, picture a student in your mind then constantly remind yourself that you are that student.
Servant Matthew 20:26-28 states this idea clearly: “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (NLT) This pretty much says it all. Leaders must be servants. That is, leaders focus on benefiting others not themselves. This brings freedom and peace. This is the heart of upside-down leadership; leadership that is foreign to the world. Get your mental image of a servant and regularly remind yourself that your are that servant.
Messenger We are just messengers of good; we did not create the good. All good is from God. I Corinthians 4:7 states: “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” Even if you get a tremendous insight that leaves listeners amazed you are still just delivering wisdom that comes from God. When you speak picture yourself as a messenger delivering a note from someone else. Even if you added creativity or skill to your delivery (which God likes) you are still using gifts God gave you.
To quickly adjust your attitude when you are on the go or in the middle of leading it is easy to just repeat the three words “student, servant, messenger” a couple times .
Next week: Upside-down leadership, part 2: building on humility. Steps to help you avoid the pride that goes before a fall and help you maintain growth in Christ.
