Humility: True Greatness

In June I was able to spend a day with one of my former roommates from HPU, Erica. It was a very hard day for me because I had been to one of my 7th grade students' memorial services the night before. My student, Tiffany, had died in a car accident because she was not wearing her seatbelt when a tire blew and flipped the car. I was devastated at the loss, but Erica was such an encouragement. She shared with me some things she had been learning and gave me a book she had just finished, Humility by CS Mahaney. I admit that when I first started this book I didn't think I would post a blog about it because it seems prideful to admit you are reading a book on humility! But, as I have spent time reading it, I have been so encouraged that I wanted to recommend it to others.

The book is split into three sections:
1. Our Greatest Friend, Our Greatest Enemy (The Battle of Humility Versus Pride)
2. The Great Reversal (Our Savior and the Secret of True Greatness)
3. Our Great Pursuit (The Practice of True Humility)

The third section offers many practical suggestions and includes things to do on a daily basis as well as books to read and biblical themes to study. Two chapters, Identifying Evidences of Grace and Encouraging Others, have been especially challenging to me. I know that these are things I need to work on...not only because of the words on the page but because I have experienced the incredible benefits of its practice. On one of the hardest days in my life, Erica spoke of the evidences of grace she saw in me and encouraged me with words that are good for building up (Ephesians 4:29). Her humility began to heal my heart. It was a beautiful expression of God's plan for His church to work together to strengthen one another and one that can only happen when pride is absent and people are dependant on the cross.

~A