Shortly after Booker T. Washington became head of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking past the house of a wealthy family. The woman of the house, assuming Washington was one of the yard workers her husband had hired, asked him if he would chop some wood for her. Professor Washington smiled, nodded, took off his coat and chopped the wood. When he carried the armload of wood into the woman’s kitchen, a servant girl recognized him and rushed to her mistress to tell her of his identity.
The next morning, the woman appeared in Washington’s office. Apologizing profusely, she said repeatedly, “I did not know it was you I put to work”. Washington replied with generosity, “It’s entirely all right, madam. I like to work and I’m delighted to do favour for my friends.”
The woman was so taken with his manner and his willingness to forgive that she gave generous gifts to the institute, and persuaded many of her wealthy acquaintances to do likewise. In the end, Washington raised as much money for the institute from this one act of chopping wood as he did from other fund – raising event! Here was a man who is confident of himself and is not threatened by the opinion of others.
Some of us think big, but are not willing to start small. We just want the big break. The story is told of a man who was walking the streets of Philadelphia searching for employment and finally happened to call on the office of a well-known businessman by the name of Girard. When he asked for a job, Mr. Girard personally responded, “Yes, I can give you work. See that pile of bricks out there? Carry them to the other end of the yard and stack them up.”
By nightfall the man reported that the project was completed and he received his pay. He then asked if there would be more work the next day. Girard said, “Yes, come in tomorrow and carry those same bricks back to where you found them.” The following morning the man arrived early and got busy, never saying a word. For more than a week, Girard instructed the worker to carry bricks back and forth until it was evident to Girard that he could trust this new employee. He was then given a new and bigger responsibility. As far as Girard was concerned, if the man could be faithful in a mindless, inconsequential task… he could be faithful in a transaction, which truly mattered.
If you know where you are going, you can always start from somewhere to get there. According to The Talmud, “Why was man created on the sixth day? To teach that if he is ever swollen with pride, it can be said: a flea came ahead of thee in creation.”
Humility will open great doors for you if you make it a habit.
To our success!
– Uju Onyechere
Jackie and Johnnie work with the largest bank in Africa. They get wind of an imminent downsizing of the bank’s staff strength to cope with the prevailing economic recession.
As they discuss the issue with other colleagues, the possibility of Jackie losing his job dawns on him and he says,“I don’t know how I would be affected by this downsizing. I feel a scared because I haven’t got any savings and my wife and I had triplets last month. I wonder if God will help me!” Johnnie, on the other hand, says with confidence, “my firm belief is that if this bank chooses to retain only 4% of its staff after the downsize, I should be one of the staff retained. However, if for any reason I am asked to leave, I know that God has something great in store for me out there. Who knows? I could end up owning a company bigger than this bank.”
Johnnie’s colleagues give him an incredulous look as he completes his statement, and one of them says to him – “Johnnie, you are such a proud guy!” and there are agreeing nods across the room.
What do you think? Do you feel Johnnie’s statement is an expression of pride? Possibly! But what does pride mean? I have seen many believers misplace the meaning of pride to the extent that it is even the humble that is regarded as proud these days. Let’s look at one striking way the Bible explains pride: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud …” 1 Timothy 6:3-4 (KJV)
Anyone who does not bring his ideas and reasoning under subjection to God’s word is a proud person. If the Word says you should treat others with love, and you look down on your fellow man and treat them with disdain, you are proud. If your spouse hurts you and you refuse to forgive, you are esteeming your own judgement over God’s, so you must be a proud person. Similarly, if the Word says you are healed, righteous and all-sufficient in Christ, but you proclaim and act contrary to this, you are equally proud.
In the scenario above, Jackie demonstrated pride because he seemed to esteem his ability more than that of God; he did not see God sustaining him outside of his bank job. He may have been aware that God clothes even the lilies of the field that do not toil, but he considered his ‘case’ more complex; he had not brought himself under the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As a believer, if the world thinks you are proud, then it is likely that you are yielding to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ – because the world sees differently. The reverse may be the case. Stop acting timid, lily-livered or stupid under the guise of humility. Herald the word of God with confidence and courage. Be humble in the sight of the Lord (not the sight of the world) and He will exalt you in due time.
– Tope Aladenusi