I’ve been sorely embarrassed often in my career. When I was young, I habitually used an acronym that I thought I’d invented. I was appalled when a client pointed out that the letters actually stood for something profane.

While I won’t tell you exactly what it was, I am forever grateful to her for that humorous (yet humiliating) correction.

On the less funny side, I was disgraced by a colleague in the middle of a management meeting. Not just once, but regularly.

I’ve been verbally pummeled by forceful, eloquent leaders and clients.

I’ve been sued by someone I tried to help.

I’ve had to defend against two other lawsuits that resulted from the actions of employees.

Early in my career, I felt degraded by older colleagues who looked down on me as a young upstart. I had to fight for years to overcome this.

All these memories have afforded me some compassion toward colleagues who suffer their own “moments.”

But there’s a deeper humility I’m learning about now. After having many aspects of my life and identity stripped away over the past couple years, I’m understanding Jesus a little better.

Not only did he divest himself of his divine qualities, but he also became a helpless baby and eventually died a shameful death in front of a crowd.

Christ’s willingness to be humiliated is a powerful example for us:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil. 2:5-7).

Jesus gave up every advantage he had over people. He went even further, becoming a meek servant.

He wants us to have the same mindset, to reach deeper to become someone less than we think we are.

This makes room for more of him (see John 3:30).

The world needs truly humble leaders. May we be among them.

Reaching,

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
LinkedIn profile | Books