For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  –  Romans 12:3-5

When we recognize God’s mercy and grace for us, it not only causes us to worship Him, but it completely changes how we see ourselves and our relationships with others. We no longer treat people based on what they can offer us, but rather we place them above ourselves. Just take a moment and reflect on the humility of Christ: not only does He love us in our sin, but He died for us when we rejected Him.

We tend to buy the lie that humility means lacking confidence or that it implies degrading yourself. However, humility comes with having a correct and sober understanding of who you are in light of God. Would you say Jesus lacked confidence or degraded Himself? No way! Jesus understood His place and security in the Father and leveraged it to love and honor others. The world looks for confidence in the mirror and from other’s opinions, but we have been given the grace to find our confidence in Christ alone. Pride merely tries to hide insecurities, but Christ’s blood washes them away.

So, how do humility and confidence work together? I have heard it said that confidence is a by-product of belonging. When someone feels that they belong, whether on a team or even on the field, then confidence arises. You belong to Jesus. He lovingly gave up His life so that you could know Him forever. Humbly receive and rest in that truth. But also let me ask you this: Are you making those around you feel like they belong? From your teammates to your managers, are you relaying the message of belonging—the same message that Jesus gave to us—through your words and actions? When we place others above ourselves, loving and honoring them, we relay the message that they belong.

  • Reflect on the humility of Jesus and the price He paid for you.
  • Ask God to fill you with humility and to help you trust that you belong to Him.
  • Pray that you would treat your teammates the way Christ treats you.

Pre-Game Playlist: