Humility Above Vainglory

One of my favorite characters on television is Spencer James from the sports drama series All-American. In many episodes, this rising star athlete Spencer is always championing others. He's a true team player and a humble student-athlete. Throughout the series, his peers would encourage him to stop downplaying how great he is. They would prefer to see a Spencer that was more of your stereotypical popular vain athlete.  However, no matter the circumstance, he always led with service.

For the second time in Philippians, Paul uses the phrase selfish ambition. This is to remind us not to work so diligently on our own lives, that we forget about others. Jesus came to walk this earth as an example of how we should live. He constantly put the needs of others before His own. The disciples got to experience humility on display daily through His actions.  Jesus didn’t think of Himself as less, but He thought less of Himself, so He could see more of people. 

Athlete or coach, it's easy to get caught up in all your accomplishments, but remember the One that has gifted you. God has equipped us all with a set of skills and abilities to help, lead and serve. A part of humility is using those gifts to bless someone else. Let your actions speak for you, serve and lead from a place of gratitude and not vainglory. The more humble you are, the more your perspective of this world changes. Through that humility, you have the power to change the culture of a team, your school, your community and this nation.