Wiser and Happier: Special Military Edition from Time of GraceSample

Personal Integrity: Cultivate humility

Every so often we hear news of somebody--usually an older man--passing himself off as a military hero when in fact he either never served or served only briefly. For a time he might get away with it and fool people into believing that he performed extraordinary feats of heroism long ago. Two things usually give these guys away. First, their uniforms usually have medals in the wrong order (or medals that they couldn’t possibly have been awarded). Second, they have a tendency to talk about themselves--way too much about themselves.

As a general rule, true military heroes are very quiet when it comes to their past. They don’t like to talk about themselves and what they’ve been through. And they are understandably irate when a fraud shows up and tries to rob them of the honor and respect that are rightfully theirs.

Humility is learned behavior. By nature, we are frauds, miniature Satans. We are full of ourselves, prideful, interested in only one agenda in life: ours. We imagine that we are the center of the solar system--no--the galaxy. Other people are just bit players and props in the drama of Me.

It is natural to crave attention and to boast. It is Christian to praise others first and wait patiently for others to discover our own brilliance. Our Lord Jesus is both our example and teacher, the divine Redeemer who came to earth not to be served but to serve. His is the honor, ours is the duty to serve.

Can you accept this? “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).