Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4)I had a very interesting interaction today with someone. This person is someone who does not boast about the work that they do. As a matter of fact, this person does not give themselves enough credit for the work that they actually do, which is a lot. And today, they received praise from one of the hardest to get praise from clients ever. It really was a cool moment to be proud of. Me, I am very proud of this person.

It did bring up some things in my mind though, some things that I have noticed. I work in an office of a little under 200 people. It is quite small, yet just big enough for a sociologist to have a field day. We have people from all walks of life, religions, personalities, and corners of the globe. It really is a melting pot of cultures and more importantly personalities. Everyone bringing unique things to the table. But, again, this interaction with my friend, made me really think about praise, and how people in general are sometimes.

There are some people in the office, not taking anything away from their skill sets, who constantly strive for attention. Whether it be by having to, for lack of a better term, kiss the boss behind, or by some other means constantly stressing that they are working. I pray that I am not seen as one of these people, because I don’t want to be that person. This type of person does a good job, and seems to be recognized all the time because they have to be reassured constantly and publicly that they are doing a good job. There is nothing wrong with them, they are not a slack employee, but they seem to get a lot of the attention and recognition from the boss. On the other hand, there is the humble, who come in, do a good job, and never ask for credit. These people tend to be shocked when they are recognized. It is well deserved, but they do not have to be up the boss’ behind and in a constant need for attention.

The latter of these people are ones that I want to be most like. I mean, I want to think that I do not have to have constant praise and be known. I want to be that humble person. I really do. I don’t know anyone who likes a boastful individual who screams “look at me” constantly. I mean, I am far from a model employee, that is for sure. I wish that I could be as humble as my friend is. I have gotten better at it, but yeah, some days are better than others.

It is hard to be a humble person. I think that Jesus knew that it is hard to do. When he was speaking in this passage in Matthew, he was trying to get everyone to understand that being humble is important. You do not have to show off everything all the time. You can be a person of great wealth, yet you do not have to flaunt it in the faces of those less fortunate. It is so hard for us to be humble, because everyone wants to be recognized in some way. Even so, we know that the way to the kingdom is not an easy road. We do have a road map, and a guide in the teaching of our Lord Jesus. And, I know without a shadow of a doubt, that if I continue to pray for his help, I too, will become the humble person that I am called to be.