Humility
Isn't humility rare these days? God has been speaking to me this week and what I hear over and over again is "humility". Don't boast. Don't defend your position. Listen instead of talk. Look at the other guy and ask, "what is it I can do for him ... what does he need". Servanthood. Not servant leadership but rather servanthood. Servant leadership means "I'm a leader and I'm going to put on the hat of a servant" -- nothing wrong with this but you're still the leader (just a unique type of leader). No, servanthood. Serve.

Indeed humility is rare these days. Donald Trump. Tiger Woods. CEO's in glossy $50 million jets dashing off to exotic resorts for corporate retreats while folks in their company are hurting. Skyscrapers being lifted up to mark a company's "status" or importance. George Bush. I like "W". I think he is a good and decent man but I'll agree his swagger has cost us something on the world stage. The old saying is true of W, CEO's, rock stars, you and me ... "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

We crave power and status. We want to be noticed. And in that desire comes a lack of humility. Things go our way, God blesses us and suddenly, we start to take credit for it. Our ability got us to this point and we are going to do whatever we can to lift our status and get us even more opportunities. It seems it winds up being all about "me". My power. My desire to be noticed. My talents and abilities that get "me" the success "I" deserve...

Charles Spurgeon, defined humility as, "Making a right estimate of one’s self." Another noted speaker stated that, "Humility is not denying the power or gifting you have, but admitting that the gifting is from God and the power comes through you and not from you." After World War II, Winston Churchill humbly commented that, "I was not the lion, but it fell to me to give the lion’s roar."

It just seems to me that we need more leaders like Churchill. Those that push the spotlight off of themselves and their accomplishments and more humbly serve. What if our President acted this way - running America is a sacred trust. It isn't a bully pulpit for his glory. What if our CEO's were this way? Pushing away power. Downplaying their role. Taking their glossy photo out of the annual reports and replacing it with customers and employees.

What if you and I came into meetings not fighting to be heard but rather quietly soaking in what was going on and prayerfully seeking God's will? What if we came up with a great idea, passed it on and then forgot about it? In other words, we didn't push that idea, make sure it happened and then were sure to let everyone know it was our idea. What if we let go of the relentless pursuit of things to make us happy and we took on the role of a servant just glad for a roof over our heads and a soft bed to sleep in?

What if we took the focus off of "our" works, "our" accomplishments, "our" talents, "our" abilities and put them on the One who gives all? To God be the glory. Not man.

Soar!