It’s a turn off to see others brag about their accomplishments, especially when it’s clear they’re just blowing smoke to appear better than they really are. It might then be tempting to downplay ourselves, whether at work or in relationships, in an effort to remain humble. And perhaps this is good provided we’re not denying our own excellence and who God has called us to be.
On the one hand, we shouldn’t think too highly of ourselves – neither claiming competence beyond our skills nor putting ourselves on a pedestal in our relationships. We’re building on a house of cards when we do, and soon others will see past our flattery and deception.
To be sure, we should be honest with ourselves and with others. But honesty means we also don’t get to undersell ourselves. True humility is seeing ourselves rightly as God does. And it’s simply not true, right, or accurate to claim we’re worthless and have nothing to offer.
We’ve each been given a gift for doing certain things well. And we don’t have to pretend otherwise. It’s not boastful to say, “This is what God has created me to do. And I can do it well!” Of course, demanding everyone see and affirm our gift moves into the arena of pride, but not by merely embracing the excellence God has given us.
Likewise, we are worthy of love and respect in our relationships because of the dignity God has bestowed upon us. And while there’s a sense in which our family and friends don’t “need” us, this does not mean they will be better off without us. We dishonor God and do a disservice to our loved ones when we think too lowly of ourselves.
In the end, embracing our excellence is the path of true humility – fully accepting who God has created us to be, no more and no less.
Photo by Mika Ruusunen on Unsplash
