Humility...

I’d like to talk to you about humility. Not so long ago My partner and myself had a great weekend with some friends listening to some amazing Blues music. No stress,, just chilling out . On the Saturday night, we watched an gentleman who is well known around our town for being an outstanding blues slide guitarist and believe me, he did not disappoint. He was on it from the word go. Then on Sunday, it was advertised that a guy from the USA would be playing. His poster said he was a Delta blues player. (For those of you who are not in

the Blues world, the Delta blues is where the Blues began, the original slide, deep down Mississippi sound).

You can imagine my excitement at being able to watch and listen to someone who had those roots. Now before I go any further, I play slide guitar myself and consider myself fairly competent. So when the gentleman started to play in this very rough style, not the exacting way I was used to, I have to admit I was disappointed. In fact, I didn’t like it. Yet, my friend, who has forgotten more about the Blues than I will ever know, found him to be outstanding. So began my mental battle. I spoke to a few others, including the guy who had played the

previous evening, all said the same thing. The guy was a real blues player. I have to say I was getting quite annoyed, and with that a little frustrated. Even to the point where a few comments left my lips that I now regret.

Anyway, I sat down for the second set and decided just to listen with an open mind. I started listening to the stories he was telling which lead into the music he was playing and I started to get more and more in to it. All of a sudden, Bingo!! I got it. I was watching somebody telling me a story of his life and just using music to do so. Then it really hit me, I had been judging this guy on my own standards which were actually nowhere near this guys. I felt so ashamed. I had been putting down a very nice guy just because I thought I was better. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I had a few words with him after and had to apologise just for my thoughts. I also told him he had taught me a huge lesson. The bible teaches us to live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16 tells us “ Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. “ and over that weekend I had another one of those life lessons telling me that I am not perfect and still just a christian in training. I am not, by any means, there yet.

Another great verse in the bible that brings this all home is found at 1 Peter 3: 3-4. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

So yes, that weekend I was week, I judged wrongly and found humility in a very big, nasty tasting pill but it is one I made myself. When we go out in to the world we very often like to give the physical, external impression that we are good people, we like to present ourselves to impress others when we should really be concentrating on our soul and our inner self.

By showing humility and being wise, generous and kind, others will know what kind of person we are and in turn God will see too. I personally hope that this has brought me to a better place in my life. But please remember, we are not perfect, any of us. But we can try to be better people.