“Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time.”
– 1 Peter 5:6 (Holman Christian Standard)
In the world of sport, egos are often on display. Egos give us confidence and fuel feelings that we can get the job done. However, when we start feeling too important, that we are indispensable, or that we can handle things without real effort and hard work, that’s arrogance. When arrogance raises its ugly head, it’s not pretty and we can usually expect a hard landing. Poet Ogden Nash attempts to bring us back to earth with these wise words written long ago.
Sometime when you’re feeling important,
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom,
Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow this simple instruction
And see how it humbles your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water;
Put your hand in it up to the wrist.
Pull it out, and the hole that’s remaining
Is the measure of how much you’ll be missed.
You may splash all you please when you enter;
You can stir up the water galore;
But stop, and you’ll find in a minute,
That it looks quite like the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can.
Be proud of yourself, but remember,
There is no indispensable man!
Peter believed that we should be “clothed with humility”. Some of the best coaches in history have been fierce competitors AND humble leaders. As coaches, we must remember that confidence is great, but arrogance is certainly not a virtue.
Heavenly Father, keep my ego in check. Continue to teach me that You can use me, but You don’t need me. Bless me Lord, and make me a blessing in the lives of others. Amen.
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