“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4 ESV)
REFLECTION
While observing one of my students, I was reminded that even when diligence and discipline are established, there is a great temptation to tether one’s identity to what one does. Despite this particular student’s outstanding academic success, I saw a red flag when she exclaimed in a childlike way: “I am good at everything!” At that point, the fine line between confidence and conceit started to become a bit blurred. I gently chided her and reminded her (and myself) that it’s not good to praise yourself. We had a good teacher-student relationship, built on trust, that had been consistently built up/reinforced as we both showed up and worked hard together, so she received this truth and I didn’t hear her boast again. But, conceit is cultivated in the unseen realm of the heart and if seeds are sown there, they will sprout out at some point. This became evident when she started working with another student, who was older than her. He too was studious and worked hard. In their first lesson, they each had an opportunity to share their knowledge of animals and promptly started one-upping each other until it became ridiculous and they crossed over into the very dangerous zone of lying, just to sound impressive. I quickly corrected them, explaining that it’s more important to be honest than impressive. The takeaway question for us all is this: are there times when we opt to come across as impressive instead of seeking to really know and appreciate others?
May we prayerfully cultivate curiosity and truly connect (not compare ourselves) with the precious people around us.
PRAYER POEM: Sing Your Praises
Faithful Father ~ forgive me for being proud …revive my voice to sing Your praises aloud.
Fill me afresh and help me to let go of worry and woe, and in Your love, flow ~ and You, and those You made, more deeply know.
