WARNING: This post will most likely be offensive multiple times. If you are going to get butt hurt by that, stop reading! I'm gonna say it like it is.
I've come to realize that the most difficult thing I face as a counselor for Especially For Youth (EFY) is being prideful.
I think it stems from the expectation I have for the counselors here to be the cream of the crop and when they don't live up to my expectations I automatically jump to poor judgment and place myself above them.
When I observe counselors doing things like:
-texting during meetings
-leaving church early
-dressing immodestly
-using inappropriate language
-cuddle slutting it up
-arriving late to activities or meetings
-gossiping about other counselors
-using their authority as a counselor to cheat the rules
and so on...
I see those things and think wow.. and you're supposed to be the example. What a hypocrite. You teach your children all week in an effort for them to not do these things while all along you're just as bad.
And then I catch myself thinking, and even worse, complaining about those things and I'm disappointed in myself.
Why? Because I am no better than any other counselor I will work with this summer. I know that each of us is probably guilty of more than one of those things and that everyone has their own challenges they have to face and habits they need to conquer.
Heck, I'll tell you right now.. I've been guilty of every single thing I just listed at some point in my life so who am I to look down on others for doing the same?
It is SO easy to gossip.. so easy to judge.. so easy to place yourself above everyone else.
So how do we not do that?
Humility.
We must be humble.
This is a term I'm quite familiar with, having been taught the need to be humble my entire life. Be humble. Have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Don't be prideful-- be humble!
Humble humble humble humble humble.... I need to be more humble.
But how?
I know I need to do it but until a week ago I don't think I'd ever really figured out how to get from point A to B-- from pride to humility.
During the EFY week we have nightly counselor devotionals where I teach my girls for about 20 minutes on a different topic. This year the topics are all Christlike attributes:
Monday: Faith
Tuesday: Obedience
Wednesday: Charity
Thursday: Humility
Friday: Diligence
As I was teaching these Christlike attributes a week ago, it finally clicked.
As I have faith in something I act on my faith by being obedient. As I choose to be obedient I learn to love with a perfect love which is charity. As I learn to love more perfectly, I am humbled. This humility and staircase of Christlike attributes must be worked on diligently.
Humility is not a single step you progress towards-- you need smaller stair steps along the way.
As we refine ourselves through the smaller things-- faith and obedience, we'll learn to love more perfectly which will give us a different perspective-- reducing our pride and replacing it with a humble love.
"There are two kinds of people in this world. The ones you love and the ones you don't know."
That love and humility that you need to see them on your same level doesn't come from a single leap.
It comes one little step at a time.
2 things:
ReplyDelete1- is that the best butt-hurting you can do? I was expecting to not be able to walk after the warning you started with. I think you let us off easy.
2- I would disagree with the statement "I'm no better than any other counselor I will work with this summer." I don't think it's quite right to try and put everyone on an exactly even playing field. Like you said- everyone has their own issues and habits and life story. And (most naturally) there are those who are miles ahead of you at something and miles behind you in others. I would personally say that recognizing your own strengths (and then your weaknesses as well) is one of the things that helps most on that stairstep pathway toward humility. Humility is not self-debasing. It is honest and empowering.
Pst. How was that supposed to be offensive?
ReplyDelete"Humble humble humble humble humble."
Ha ha ha.
i must agree with matt. one of the apostles (i believe bednar, but i'm not entirely certain) said that to be truly humble we must realize our greatness. the prophet obviously doesn't put himself on the same level as anyone of us, but he is one of the most humble men alive. To truly be humble. we have to realize how great we are and then stop thinking about ourselves. look out. serve. do God's will. and realize his hand in everything. that's when we can be truly humble.
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