THE ONLY WAY

 

Many people, even some very wise ones, believe that the only way we grow as individuals is through pain, struggle, hardship, and suffering. Really? Let’s take a closer look. 

For one thing, pain and suffering don’t guarantee that we grow. Instead, many people wittingly and unwittingly choose to become bitter, self-pitying, angry and even violent. That’s not just regressive. It’s the antithesis of the wellbeing we desire for ourselves and the world. (You've heard, I'm sure...“You’re only young once but you can be immature forever.”)

For another, our unpleasant life experiences (regardless of intensity) can only become conduits of growth if (and it’s a big ‘if’)--we consciously choose to make them so. This willingness reveals the one and only path to growth via our pain and suffering: humility.

Humility is the conscious decision to accept, yield or surrender to something or someone. I know, not very “sexy,” as they say. But notice how the only way we actually learn anything in life is by becoming a student of it. 

How does this apply to our pain and suffering? It’s organic. The more genuinely humble we are . . . the more open we are. The more open . . . the more observant. The more observant . . . the more receptive. The more receptive . . . the more we learn. And the more we learn . . . the more we grow.

But if this humble path virtually guarantees growth then why don’t we choose it more often? In a word: ego. Notice, for instance, the wording used in our advertising...language that constantly strokes, soothes and satiates--and implicitly justifies--our egos. In such a culture humility is virtually without value. It isn’t just ignored. It’s considered undesirable; a chink in one’s all-sufficient armor.

But humility isn’t just for a rarified few. It’s a way for all of us to be in the world. . . and open to it and its wonder.

“As God's chosen ones [that's ALL of us], holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)

TODAY.

LET’S GIVE THE WORLD AND OURSELVES A GIFT.

LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT WE BELIEVE . . . AND WHY.