Be Humble at Heart

Former NBA star Tim Duncan, one of the best power forwards to play basketball, was not a trash-talker.

In fact, when asked about Duncan, former opponent Kevin Garnett replied, “If he said anything at all, it would be “‘subtle.’” Garnett said Duncan might throw out a “nice job” or “almost” but largely never spoke at all. Duncan said he was never good at trash-talking. Being the perennial all-star that he was, his game said enough all on its own.

Sports can bring out emotions. In competition, usually reserved people can become very vocal and animated. With the amplified adrenaline and emotion, the vocality can quickly become arrogant, especially if the team or player is doing well.

In scripture, the word pride and its opposite, humble or humility, are seen several times just in the book of Proverbs. Through His Word, God warns about the dangers of being too filled with pride. Proverbs 11:2 offers one such warning, “When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” Throughout the New Testament, humility is repeatedly brought up. James 4:6 even reminds us that God “gives grace to the humble.”

Simply put, don’t play or do anything else with pride and arrogance. If you are good at your sport, others will see it one way or another. God wants us to be humble. Jesus Himself said He was humble in heart, and we want to be like Jesus, right?