If I had to think of my best ability, one that I do better than anyone else, it would have to be my humility. I dare you to find anyone more humble! I'd kick anyone's butt in a humility contest! I'm the humblest person alive today!
Of course someone that says this doesn't seem very humble at all. But if this isn't humility, then what is? Often, the picture of humility that I hear people paint is one of convincing yourself that you are worthless. A humble person is supposedly one who has convinced themselves that their skills aren't as good as they are. If you're really good at basketball, in order to be humble you shouldn't play it otherwise, you're "showing off."
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." - James 3:13
This verse turns that notion on its head! It seems that God doesn't want people with abilities like wisdom and understanding to cover the abilities up, but "Let him show it..."! Show your abilities through a good life! And have that good life by doing deeds in humility that comes from wisdom!
What then is the difference in an able man, and a humble able man? C. S. Lewis puts it this way from the perspective of Screwtape, a demon. "The Enemy" he is speaking of is God.
"The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world , and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another."
This is a hard thing to do. Lets say Elevation somewhere down the road had 100k in attendance. I'd be bouncing off the walls and giving all the credit to God! But lets say some other church did it first. I can imagine myself getting a little sour about it, and that isn't what God wants. He wants glory, not just Elevation brand name glory. Rejoice in kingdom advances regardless of the servant God chose.
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