Faith Dare, Day 26: The Humble Heart
Dare to Walk in Humility and Grace toward Others
The Challenge to Teach Humility to Our Children As Well As to Learn It for Ourselves
“There’s that me-first attitude again,” I said with a smile and a wink. That was our motto that year, my first year teaching in an elementary classroom, and I was given the most dynamic, creative, and super special group of children to mold and shape for the next 180 days. In other words, the most hyper, talkative, and special needs children in that grade level – all for me! Oh my!
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| My “Be a Team Player” bulletin board |
What a blast it was that year! I mean it too! I loved those kids with all my heart, and I could not have asked for a more wonderful teaching assignment! I just had to approach them in an especially prayerful and tactful way if I wanted to get anywhere with them.
Of course we had the general curriculum, and we had our ups and downs. However, I cannot even begin to describe for you the sheer pleasure of helping children advance in their reading skills as they graduate from phonics readers to chapter books. What a joy to progress from writing a basic sentence to composing stories and mini books! They made huge strides academically, and I was so proud!
As time went by that year, I observed that educating these youngsters effectively would entail much more than mere reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic! The need that came to my attention above all others with this particular group was to curb the habit of selfishness. Is that too much to expect from seven and eight year olds? I don’t know, but I was determined!
I understood that the natural tendency of a child is to think about himself first. Children are born conscious of their own needs and wants and nothing else. So, I was not dealing with children who were any different from the norm; they were just very selfish by nature. However, add to that rude, pushy, inconsiderate, and a bit mean, then you see I had my work cut out for me!
I began a new habit with my class. When a student interrupted another student and began talking over him, I said, “There’s that me-first attitude again.” When one student ran to get to the water fountain before his classmate, “There’s that me-first attitude again.” When they shoved each other to establish their place in line, or if one tried to get “cutsies,” “There’s that me-first attitude again.” When they were resistant to share a game or take turns, “There’s that me-first attitude again.” I think you get the idea!
I always made sure to smile and wink when I said it because I did not want it to come across as a stern reprimand, but just as a gentle reminder of a new skill they were learning. It actually worked once in awhile! I tried to make it a fun challenge to treat each other unselfishly. We often talked about things we could do to be kind to each other and how to not be selfish.
Now I wonder, would it be appropriate for me to try this technique on many of the adults I encounter? Well, maybe I should employ that for myself first. I have to be honest! Like anyone else, I can let that me-first attitude well up from time to time as well.
You see, even as adults, we tend to need gentle reminders that it is not “all about me.” I love Joyce Meyer’s robot illustration that so clearly shows what we can be like inside sometimes: “What about me? What about me? What about me?…” Isn’t that how we can be sometimes when we get caught up in our busy schedules, our problems, or our personal goals? We can’t seem to see anything beyond ourselves.
Today’s culture makes it so easy to get caught up in a self-centered mentality, and before we know it, we can become like hermit crabs encased in our own protective shells. We don’t have the time or the desire to get involved in someone else’s life, and we certainly don’t want anyone bothering us!
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| Serve one another in love. |
Well, let me tell you, we were not created to live as islands to ourselves. We were designed to thrive in community, to share life with others, to love and serve each other and to enjoy relationships. We were not designed to focus purely on our own needs or self-indulgences, but in order to mimic the character of God, in whose image we were created, we must look out for the needs of others first. We are to esteem others above ourselves, rather than insisting on our own way. Be willing to let someone else have the glory once in awhile. Rejoice when others are successful rather than being jealous. In a nutshell, put others before ourselves.
Nope, life is not “all about me.” We will be so much happier and more fulfilled when we learn to live out of self and show interest and care for others.
Here is a challenge: Look around for someone in need and see what you can do to meet that need. Be willing to “wash feet” on a daily basis.
Dare to Walk in Humility and Grace toward Others!
So, next time you see yourself becoming more and more self-absorbed, remember what my second graders could teach us all, “There goes that me-first attitude again!”
Smile, wink!
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| A circle of unity |
Today’s truth is speaking to me…
Get rid of the “Me first!” and “What about me?” mentality. Pride is detestable to God. Thinking too much of self is not pleasing to God or consistent with His character. Rather, we please Him and make a difference in the world when we humble ourselves and put others before us. Consider other’s needs and agendas before our own. Rejoice with and celebrate the success of others. Be willing to sacrifice to provide for someone else’s needs. Esteem others above myself.
Look for someone in need of help and consider what I can offer. Be willing to go out of my way to encourage someone or cheer them up. Look out for others. Hold doors open. Let someone in front of me in line. Share. Pay for someone’s meal. Do kind acts of service anonymously. Make “banana pudding” for someone. Listen when people speak, and show interest. Greet people cheerfully. Extend hospitality. Imagine that everyone has a sign above their heads that say, “Make me feel special, or valuable.”
It’s all about washing feet. Look for opportunities every day rather than being caught up in self.
God is asking me to…
Be on the lookout for ways I can help, bless, and serve others.
Be conscious of how I treat people and go out of my way to meet people’s needs before my own.
Be conscious of my words and speak blessing to and about people.
Wash someone’s feet every day.
My challenge is to…
Keep it in balance – serving others without neglecting myself or my family.
Not rely on how I feel but to be obedient even when it is inconvenient.
Today’s Prayer… (Debbie Alsdorf)
Lord, teach me Your way. Show me how to walk as You walked, love as You loved, live as You lived – humbly obedient and yielded.
Favorite Quotes… (from The Faith Dare, by Debbie Alsdorf)
“Humility involves shadowing the nature of Christ.”
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…but made Himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant…He humbled Himself and became obedient to death.” Philippians 2:5-8
“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under god’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7
“Humility does not mean lying down on the ground while everyone walks over you. Humility is a life submitted to God. Humility is saying to our Father, ‘You are God and I am not!’ Walking in humility toward others is not that difficult to understand; it is simply putting them first.”
“Christ gave us an example of humility by dying for people who didn’t care, were in their sins, were undeserving.”
“Rather than feeling entitled to receive, we need to be freed to give.”
“Today challenge yourself to get out of self and actively look for the needs of others and listen to the opinions of others before inserting your own.”
“God desires me to clothe myself in humility and resist the devil by resisting pride.”
