April 21, 2026
Humility
By Jim Hutson
At a recent board of trustees training and retreat weekend, we were each randomly given an assignment and asked to commit to it on behalf of the board.
Mine was to hold the sacred space of HUMILITY in all we do.
I’ve always believed that I acted with a good deal of humility, at least most of the time. However, coworkers who knew me earlier in my career would not have agreed. I have since discovered that I was actually very arrogant and condescending. I lived with an internal complaint that most everyone I encountered was an idiot. In reality, I had very low self-esteem, little confidence, and the need to constantly invalidate others to prove my superiority and validate myself. And let me tell you, when someone needs evidence that everyone is an idiot, it’s amazing how that will show up everywhere.
Fortunately, I found a path to transformation that led to healing and helped me find self-forgiveness, as well as acceptance and forgiveness of others. Unfortunately, my arrogance still shows up from time to time, as my wife can attest; but now I recognize it for what it is and can be responsible for it. Not surprisingly, I am also annoyed by arrogance in others. This reaction can only mean that I have not fully transformed that part of myself yet, but I’m working on it.
I believe humility is not thinking less of ourselves but rather thinking of ourselves less. Humility as a foundational way of being also provides freedom to no longer need to prove, defend, or elevate our own importance. Releasing the need to be right makes room for loving others. Some may see humility as weakness; but at its core, I believe it’s more of an alignment. It places us in harmony with reality, others, and whatever we understand as sacred.
Mathew 23:12
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
So, how do I see the sacred space of humility being held in all we do as a board? I assert that humility is present when the following ways of being are present.
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Choosing gratitude in moments where we could complain, realizing what we have today can pass
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Relating to each other with kindness
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Admitting when we are wrong
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Remaining transparent with and open to communication from the congregation and each other
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Listening to each other with curiosity rather than certainty
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Being willing to learn
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Acknowledging our limitations.