"Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others." -1 Corinthians 10:24 NLT
One night in 2019, I was watching the University of Alabama vs. Duke University football game. I noticed something intriguing as Alabama was kicking an extra point. Tua Tagovailoa, who was the starting quarterback for Alabama, was holding the football for the field goal kicker to kick. The holder (for those who don’t watch football) is the player who receives the snap from the long snapper during field goal or extra point attempts made by the placekicker. Typically, the backup quarterback or the punter is the one who holds the ball for field goal and/or extra point attempts.
When I saw that Tua was holding for the kick, I was surprised initially but as I continued to watch, there was one thing that truly impressed me. It was the humility and selflessness that Tua exhibited by being a holder for extra points and field goal kicks. Tagovailoa was a Heisman candidate in 2018, and some say that he could have led the Crimson Tide to a championship. The fact that he held kicks spoke volumes to me because he was humble and selfless enough to do whatever it took to help the team win. He could have easily carried himself in an arrogant manner thinking that he was better than the team because he was the star quarterback but he didn’t.
In what ways are you being selfless? Are you being humble with the abilities and blessings that God has given you?
Always remember that apart from God, we are nothing. We are unable to do anything without Him in our lives. We should never forget that. There are times in our lives when we experience success and begin to “feel” ourselves a little bit. One thing that we must realize is that when we are arrogant, we forget about “where our help comes from, our help comes from The Lord” (Psalm 121:1-2). As a result of our arrogance, we put ourselves in a position where God will have to humble us. God doesn’t humble us to hurt us or because He doesn’t want to see us blessed as His children, but He wants to build character within us. God can only use a person with a humble heart to fulfill His kingdom purpose.
Some may wonder, “What are some practical ways to help me remain humble when good things come my way?”
- Ask God for help in that area and He will help you.
- Read and memorize scripture as it pertains to humility. Meditate on it and when you sense some arrogance rise up, talk to the enemy and say scripture out loud.
- Surround yourself with godly people who will not only tell you the truth but will also encourage and support you, keeping you grounded.
Save yourself the trouble of thinking that you can live this life without
God because you can’t—none of us can. Simply walk with humility in your
everyday life and watch what God will do in your life.
God helps us to endure difficult seasons.