From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
It was Anglican churchman, Nicky Gumbel, who once said, “The best way to forget the faults of others is to remember our own.”
There’s a word for this in the English language: humility.
Allow me to let you in on a secret.
God LOVES humility.
Look at what James, the brother of Jesus once said about it in James 4:6: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.”
The apostle Peter, who had to learn the lesson of humility the hard way, said this in 1 Peter 5:6: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”
I know a couple in a local church who attend weekly and serve on various committees.
By all outside observation they look like the typical husband and wife team serving in their local church.
What most people do not know, however, is all the stuff that happens behind closed doors, that nobody sees.
Furthermore, they don’t draw any attention to themselves, either.
They are extremely generous with their money and are exceptional neighbours to those in their community.
There are no plaques on their walls or trophies on their shelves, but there is a smile on God’s face.
We love the praise and adulation and attention of others, but it can puff up our chests and swell our heads.
Humble pie, on the other hand, is a dainty dish with no calories.
A key part of humility is taking ownership of our faults and not trying to make excuses or project the blame on someone else.
Nicky Gumbel was right.
We tend to forget the shortcomings of others when we own our own.
Let’s go and put this into practice!