by Jerry Senn
Did you hear the story of the man who survived the Johnstown flood? That flood killed 2,000 people in 1889 when the E Fork River broke its reservoir. It is one of the worst floods on record in the state of Pennsylvania.
One of the survivors was a man who could not control his tongue when it came to bragging about how he was spared the flood, as if he had accomplished it on his own. The people were sick of hearing it but he continued for weeks and weeks, it was all he talked about.
But, then the man died and went to heaven where he was met at the gate. An angel told him there will be a great meeting when all the heroes of faith would be gathered. The man said, “great I can tell them all about my surviving the Johnstown flood.” The angel replied, “yes you could, but remember Noah will be there.” The man’s chin dropped — he got the point.
Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast comes to mind. “Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take a lower place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 14:7-11).
To pursue honors is not wrong, nor is it wrong to seek excellence with a healthy degree of self-esteem. But, someone wrote, “Egotism is the glue with which we get stuck on ourselves.” Solomon wrote, “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, ‘‘come up higher,’ than to be put lower in the presence of the king.” (Proverbs 25:6-7).
Humility is a thin line between too little and too much self-esteem. A correct and humble evaluation of self, others and God is always wise.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).