Everyone loves a good origin story. For years, our favorite stories in oral, written, and now visual format have been full of the great, powerful, brave, and noble heroes whose humble beginnings make them relatable to the masses.
Take, for example, a lowly shepherd boy defeating a giant and becoming a king; or Charlie’s rise from poverty to inheriting a Chocolate Empire. So often modeled through superheroes like Captain America, we are fascinated by the idea of something (or someone) small rising to greatness.
Let’s be honest—as men, we long to be great. That greatness can come in different forms for each of us:
We aspire to be significant and to make a difference through our performance.
We crave the acceptance that comes from meaningful relationships with people.
We desire a safe environment that comes about through order and process.
We want a thriving life in all of our soul’s dimensions: spiritual, relational, physical, intellectual, and emotional.
I have often found that obtaining these things feels impossible. Either I’m beginning at the foot of a mountain that’s insurmountable, or some unexpected obstacle presents itself along the way. Even in my well intentioned pursuits to do good, I find myself back where I started, or in some cases, further from my goal than I ever imagined.
Recently, I have been experiencing a shift. It’s small, subtle, and not impressive. But it is there. It feels a bit like what I have seen for years in Matthew 17:
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (v. 20 NLT).
What jump-started this gradual shift in me? I had some humiliating experiences. Those moments of suffering, failure, and exposure presented me with a choice. I could either continue the course I had been on for years or consider a different approach.
Thankfully, I have rubbed shoulders with wise people for years, who modeled for me the truth we see in James 4:7-10 (CSB) in moments of humiliation:
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
I am still not at a place where I feel exalted, nor have I reached a point of greatness, but I am discovering an amazing life with God when I pursue humility with Him. So I’m starting about a “new beginning.” This time, I am focusing on pursuing God with humility. Learning how to be aware of who I really am, putting my attention more to God and others than myself, and daily remaining teachable, because there is so much learning and growing to do.
Here’s to hoping a humbler beginning will lead to something more beautiful.