Do your small, everyday actions demonstrate humility? (108-2)

It takes a lifetime of consistent behavior, made up of small everyday actions, for a leader to be known for their humility. Read 1 Chronicles 17:1-27.

David has been established firmly as king of Israel. He has established Jerusalem as his capitol city. David has built a beautiful palace for himself in Jerusalem. He has moved the Ark of the Covenant, a holy object God instructed Moses to build as His home on earth, from the countryside to Jerusalem.  It is at this time that David realized that he is living in luxury but no temple has ever been built for a home to the Ark of the Covenant. He calls Nathan the prophet and tells him he desires to build a magnificent temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. Nathan considers the idea and tells David to go ahead with the project.

That night God spoke to Nathan and gave different orders. Both Nathan and David showed genuine humility. Nathan had to modify his instructions to David after he too quickly spoke for God, and David responded with grace when he learned he would not build the temple. Humility is an element of leadership that keeps leaders on track and enables them to see beyond themselves.

One of my mentors in Christian film making constantly stated, “Film is a medium of action not words.” His constant reminder was that we should preach the Word through film and if necessary we could use words. People see humility like that; they judge a leader by their actions not their rhetoric. A humble leader realizes that honor accompanies a job well done and does not need to be pursued as an entity in itself.

Can you admit a leadership mistake? If you have too quickly given an opinion are you able to swallow your pride and tell your team that you found new information? If you have your mind made up to do something and your plans have to change, can you still find joy in your work and praise God for the day? A leader will have a legacy of humility when the small decisions that make up a lifetime of actions demonstrate they look beyond themselves and their personal interests to the interests of God and the best interest of their team.

Proverbs 25:27 “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.”