But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.”

Matthew 3:15 (New Living Translation)

When I first started this whole “My Daily Bread” routine back in 2018, one of the most central spiritual lessons/reflections for me was around the subject of “humility”. Just to be really clear, I’m not referring to the kind of “fake modesty” act that some people would put up. I’m not quite sure whether people actually do that in your culture or where you’re from, but where I’m from, a lot of people tend to take it to the extreme. It is especially true within the context of the Asian culture. Many of us have been taught since young that it is important to always be humble. Which is clearly not a bad thing. We need to know when and how to be humble. But then, at some point, some of us would start to take it to the extreme that we start exhibiting signs of false modesty.

Jesus, in my book, is the best role model when it comes to demonstrating what real humility is. Within the bible, we can see that His very first act of humility started when He approached John to baptise him at the river. John tried to explain to Jesus that it’s suppose to be the other way around because he understood who Jesus is (His status). But instead of acting high-and-mighty, Jesus responded by telling John that, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.”

Take a moment and remember that sentence because I’ll be coming back to it again later.

So, the very first time that Jesus appears in public, the very first thing He did was to show His humility. But it is also very important to remember that Jesus wasn’t all about humility either. He clearly didn’t take things to the extreme. Instead, there were passages and stories from the bible that spoke about how confident and sure of Himself He was. He never doubted Himself. And He never felt the need to prove how strong or capable He was. He didn’t have anything to prove.

But as believers and fellow Christians, we are so often using “selective reading/understanding” when it comes to the bible. Most of us would only speak about how humble Jesus was, and yet we never provide equal mention of how confident He is also.

You Can be Both Humble & Confident of Yourself

One of the most valuable lessons that we can learn from Jesus as our role model is that we can both be humble and also confident of ourselves. Stop with the false modesty. And yes, you need to stop trying to prove yourself to others (I guess I’m also speaking to myself right now).

Part of learning how to be truly humble is about learning how to develop greater sense of self-awareness. It took me many years (I started this part of my journey in 2018) before I was able to reach a certain level of self-awareness. By which time, I was finally able to come to terms with the many flaws and strengths of who I am. I knew that I was really good at certain things, but I also had serious flaws/weaknesses in other areas of who I am (and was).

And this is where I felt that I really needed a swift kick to the butt. A sharp reminder that I don’t need to always find a way to prove myself, or to convince others about what I can do, or what I’m capable of. I’ve gone from a place of being really sure of my capabilities to a place of self-doubt in a short span of a few years.

Sure, things have been genuinely difficult too. The circumstances surrounding my situation hasn’t exactly been helping too. And those are just the facts. But my mistake is thinking that I need to “do something” in order to prove [elevate] myself. As it turns out, bad idea. Things have most certainly backfired.

When I came across Luke 14:11 (NLT), it was a reminder there’s really no need to prove myself to anyone. I just need to be myself. Quietly do the work that I need to do, and then the progress/results that I make in the process will be proof soon enough. There’s nothing that I needed to say either. By quietly demonstrating my capabilities, others will eventually notice it, and over time, they will be the ones that does the “elevating” part.

Pride is a Form of Sin

For as long as I could remember, I’m someone who never ever allowed my own pride to get in my way of something. But I suppose there is always that first time for everything. In recent years, my greatest sin was in the form of pride. Every single bad decision that was made came from my own pride. My form of pride was thinking that I knew better. My pride was thinking that I had something to prove to others. As a result, I’ve kept stumbling and I kept making mistakes along the way.

As I’m making my way back into God’s grace with this renew commitment to my faith in Him, I am also finally able to let go of that pride that I’ve been carrying with me for the last couple of years.

Remember what I said earlier about the statement that Jesus made when He responded to John at the river? It’s a reminder that whether it’s at work, or at school, or in how we manage our businesses, at the end of the day, we need to do the work that is required of us. Let’s constantly remind ourselves that by doing the work, our results will bear fruit, and with results will come the necessary recognition from others.

Personal Prayer Today

Dear God, thank You for revealing to my my sin of pride today.

Thank You for showing me who I am on the inside, both the good and the bad.

Thank You for reminding me that I don’t have to prove myself to others and I can just be myself.

I acknowledge that in spite of my past achievements and recognition, there is still much room for me to grow, to improve.

Help me today by giving me the peace of mind to focus on the work that I need to do, and to trust in You that when the results comes out, that it would be able to speak for themselves.

I vow to give You all of my praises. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.