Monday, August 31, 2009

Learning humility

I've been doing some writing about transparency and how that relates to community recently. Also been doing some thinking about taking risk and jumping within the context of community. So guess what two things I've been doing a lousy job of within community? Yep, transparency and risking. I appreciate the guys that helped me realize this and who talked with me about some of these things. See that is part of why I love community. I don't have to do it on my own. Hear me on this, sometimes it sucks to hear the things we need to hear. I don't always enjoy some of those tough conversations, but I am thankful for them. I am realizing that it takes a lot of humility to be a part of community. Humility says that I don't have it figured out all of the time, that I am open to correction, that I may to do some tough things that could hurt my pride, but I think someone who is humble will grow. To really learn and to lead it requires humility. The conversations that I had over the last couple of days were with some guys who demonstrate that type of humility. Probably one of the reasons why I learn so much from them and love them so much. They have humility and are also outstanding leaders. Just wish I didn't have to have those tough conversations to learn sometimes. So who do you know that demonstrates humility? What can you learn from them?

1 comment:

Jamie said...

I learn a lot from guys who come newly into recovery. I think sometimes we get tricked into thinking that any of the fruits of spiritual growth including humility are a result of a long life of spiritual training with the culmination resulting in this spiritual giant at the end.

Don't get me wrong, I do think there's something to the ongoing living of a life of faith that changes me over time. But humility among other things happens as a result of our collisions of life, and what we in our moments, do with that.
I think humility happens as a function of desperation, colliding with honest to goodness trust in God.

I see that happen to recovery guys who may not have any ongoing significant spiritual life at all.