BE DIFFERENT; Be Humble
You are awesome! You are a child of God, you are his amazing creation, you are a human being! I don’t know you personally, but I can imagine that you have many amazing and unique qualities as well. Are you so good that you are better than everyone else in your class? In your school? In your family?
Are you so good that you deserve a servant? Do you deserve fine dining at your favourite restaurant every night? Do you deserve to have extravagant holidays and wonderful experiences? Do others? Do you deserve it more than others?
Being humble is thinking of yourself as least in order of importance. So if you want to rank everyone in your family in order of importance, you might put your parents first because they do all the looking after of everyone and then maybe you or maybe your siblings or you might put all the kids in the same rank next, and then any pets might be at the end, with the cat next the dog after that and the fish last.
Being humble is putting yourself last out of all the humans. It is REALLY hard.
The opposite of humility, or being humble, is arrogance and pride. Thinking you are excellent because of all your own hard work and ability.
Being humble involves not being proud or arrogant, strutting around and putting yourself above those around you. Being humble means not thinking about yourself as better than others.
Bible Passage: James 4:6
“God opposes everyonewho is proud, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.”
Bible Passage: James 4:10
“Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honour you.”
What do you think?
Just imagine that you are in fact a genius and exceed in everything you set your mind to. Imagine coming first in every race, speeding through your schoolwork and being really popular too. What are you thinking? What are you feeling?
If you’re not sure what you’re feeling, maybe pick one of these:
Happy
Excited
Lonely
Sad
Proud
Boastful
Invincible
Arrogant
Humble
If you are better at doing things than everyone else, why would you be humble?
If you are better at doing things than everyone else, why does God WANT us to be humble?
Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 4:7
“What is so special about you? What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag?"
Story Time!
Bible Passage: Luke 18:9-14
Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:
Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed,“God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”
The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”
Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honoured.”
Jesus keep mentioning a time when you will be honoured. God will honour you and rank you as you really deserve in his timing.
Bible Passage: Matthew 19:30
“But many who are now first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
To finish up this episode, I need to say that God does not want us to have a low self esteem. He wants us to think highly of ourselves, after all, he created us and made us wonderfully! What God does want is for us to think of others as even more high.
Question Time!
What are some things that a proud person might do?
What are some things a humble person might do?
Do you know anyone who is humble? What is it about them that makes you think they are humble?
