Originality and Humility

I say to every man . . not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think.Romans 12:3 NAS.

You are an original, uniquely crafted by the genius of God.

My thoughts and comments today are about “originality and humility.”

Life is not static; a successful life is lived with dynamic balance.  By that I mean: a dynamic balance requires subtle adjustments to a present reality. People who never adjust break; people who never change never grow. Our great granddaughter, Kaylee Grace, is one year old and walking – everywhere! With newly discovered mobility, she is adventurous. Have you observed a toddler’s first attempts at walking? There seems to be quite a trick to it that you may have forgotten. The challenge is accomplishing a dynamic balance that shifts your weight safely from one foot to the other.

Walking is such a common part of everyday life that I hardly gave it any thought, until I read an explanation of the intricate processes the body constantly performs in the act of walking. Since it happens so naturally, even automatically, you take it for granted until something happens to impair your ability to do so. Each and every step requires an immediate and delicate adjustment to your balance. Each foot shifts the center of gravity ever so slightly from one side to the other, and the rest of the body has to anticipate and accurately adjust. Failure to do so results in a fall.

The idea of balance that intrigues me today is about the life-balance of having confidence in your God-given originality balanced with common sense humility. Your walk in Christ necessitates that you understand the delicate balance of both, knowing the profound uniqueness of who you are in Christ and how and when to walk in humility before others, and certainly before God at all times. You are an original, uniquely crafted by the genius of God. In some ways, you are one of a kind, but that was never meant for your pride, but always and only for the glory of your Creator.

In other ways, you are not so different from every other person. You have every reason to walk in true humility. Apart from God’s grace and gifts to you, of what can you boast? Blending those two realities and balancing the need and occasion for each is the challenge you must master to experience and enjoy your greatest success. How you live compliments your Creator.

You have seen examples of the worst of either of those extremes – the person so impressed with themselves they are unenjoyable if not unbearable – or the person so self-deprecating they are uncomfortable to be around, excusing themselves from any effort or expectation. Either is an unhealthy imbalance.

Here’s the Bible formula for a Godly life of spiritual balance, “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 NAS. How beautifully and practically stated. Think of yourself no more highly than you ought to think, and just as importantly, think of yourself no less highly than you ought to think, according to the grace of God that is upon your life and the gift of God that is within you.

My prayer for you this day is that you enjoy who you are, and fully credit God Who made you.