We Call Him Fingers

L u k e 1 8 : 1 4 

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

We’ve all been around him. You know who I’m talking about . . . he’s the guy with the new knife in his pocket that’s never had blood on it. The guy who bought used leggings to make it look like he’s done some work. The guy with tie strings on his swells, hobbles hanging from his D-ring, and taps on his stirrups. Looking at him, you might think he’s a hand, but, while all of this may make him look like a hand, we call him Fingers, ‘cause he ain’t no hand.

To be honest, I don’t have a problem with this guy. Why? Because, at one point, I was that guy (some of my friends would say I’m still that guy . . . but they can shut it). Just because you don’t have a lot of experience cowboyin’ or riding a horse doesn’t make you a bad guy, it just means you’re green, which is really no big deal. What I do have a problem with is when Fingers talks like he knows what he’s doing. “Oh yeah, I can rope. I’ve been cowboying for a while. I grew up on a ranch back home.” But then you ask him to do a job, and he’s a wreck waiting to happen. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I kind of enjoy watching posers like Fingers get their butts handed to them because, in some ways, they ask for it by running their mouth (that’s probably not very Christian, but it’s true). What’s even more tragic is that a guy like Fingers not only can hurt himself, but he can put others in a bad spot, too, because of his dishonesty.

If I’ve learned one thing about cowboys, it’s that they tend to respect a guy who can admit he doesn’t know how to do something and actually asks for help. This act of humility makes a good hand more willing to help a guy like Fingers.

I remember the first time my friend Marshall asked me to drag calves at his branding. I reluctantly answered, “Heck no, you don’t want me to drag. You’ll be waiting a while ‘cause I don’t know what I’m doing.” But he didn’t care. He said, “It’s ok, just give it a try. We’ll help you.” So, I did, and, while I didn’t rope great that day, I’ve got the pictures to prove that I did catch a few. Marshall and I have talked about this since, and he 100 percent agrees, “We will help anyone who is willing to learn. But if a dude shows up running his mouth, we might lead him out a bronc and tell him it’s gentle, just to humble him a little.” 

When it comes to serving God, we are told to have this same teachable attitude. He doesn’t care if you’ve never done something, He just wants you to be humble and willing to try. Maybe you’ve never prayed out loud. It’s ok to admit to God that you’re scared. He understands and He wants to help you get past that fear. Maybe you’ve never told someone about Jesus and how He can change their life. You think they might make fun of you or you won’t have the right words to say in the moment. It’s ok! Give your fear to God. Ask Him to give you the words at just the right moment and then give it a try. No matter how long you’ve been a follower of Christ, there is always something you can learn. I’ve been around a lot of self-righteous Christians who are a lot like Fingers. They think they have it all figured out and they hide their doubts and fears to try and make themselves look more spiritual.

What I’ve learned about people is that those who are far from Christ should never relate to perfection. In other words, when we act like we don’t have any problems or face any doubts about God, we distance ourselves from those who do have problems or a past that they’re not proud of. What I’ve come to realize is that it’s our weakness that connects us to our neighbors, not our strength. Therefore, we would all do ourselves a favor if we’d just be honest about our weaknesses and be willing to admit we don’t have it all together. This is what God blesses, and, just like a good hand is willing to help a guy who’s humble, God is more willing and able to use a person who walks in humility.

C H E W O N T H I S 

When was the last time you were honest with God? When was the last time you were honest with those around you and asked for help? What’s an area of your life that you need to be honest and admit you’re weak in and ask someone to help you get stronger?

P R A Y E R 

Jesus, I know I don’t have it all together, so I’m asking you to help me grow in my faith, my love, my obedience, and my humility. I don’t want to bring any undue pain on myself or anyone else because I’m not being honest. Thank you for your willingness to use me in spite of my weakness.