The Message of LeadershipSample

THE WAY UP

"Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue."
-Saint Augustine

Sometimes God humbles us to test our reaction before He lifts us up. Have you been embarrassed or ashamed only to discover later that your experience was supremely valuable? Maybe your failure turned your life in an important way that nothing else could have accomplished. I don’t seem to learn very much when everything is going great. It is usually in my failures that God gets my attention. What about you?

A dear friend of mine was fresh out of college and invited to try out for a professional football team. In college he had been a force to reckon with as a defensive cornerback. But my friend was beat time and again that day by a rookie quarterback and wide-receiver combo that were also hoping to make big-time professional sports. My friend was cut from the team a little discouraged, yes, but undeterred in his pursuit of excellence. He went on to be a very successful Christian layman and attorney with a career that lasted may decades.

I have found that down is the way up. Anyone can handle success. How you handle failure is a sign of greatness. Most leaders will suffer setbacks and discouragement; it goes with the territory if you are trying to accomplish something great. The one who is always playing it safe will never find out what kind of stuff they are made of.

Our failures and disappointments are not always what they appear to be either – maybe they are really just momentary set-backs as we focus in on God’s will for our life. You may have heard of the quarterback that beat my friend that day in try-outs; his name was Johnny Unitas and the wide-receiver was none other than Raymond Berry – two of the greatest players to ever represent the Baltimore Colts and now both in the NFL hall of fame.

Essential Insight 15: Humble yourself before God and He will lift you up.