The Idiots Guide to Humility

Recently, my high school had a spring dance, and when you live in a small town such as mine, dances are pretty much the only thing even semi-exciting that happens. Most of these dances however play out much like this. Around 7:00, the first groups of people start to arrive. Around 7:15, pretty much everyone that is coming to the dance is there, yet still no one is dancing. Then, around 7:30, a group of girls will slowly move to the center of the dance floor and start dancing to some Lil Wayne or Akon song. This somehow sends a sort of telepathic message to everyone else that's still in the lobby telling them "Hey! It's safe to get on the dance floor now, there's people there". I myself have never been one to like to dance in public; so when a bunch of my guy friends decided to have a good time and fool around and make themselves look like idiots in the social sense, I was a little hesitant to join at first. Then I remembered what the Bible had to say about humility and humbleness, so I decided to join in. I apologize, that last sentence was a total lie, I was simply trying impress you by making you think I know every Bible verse by heart. The real reason was because somebody poked a hole in the top of a water bottle and was spraying everyone.

After the dance however, I learned that even though I joined into the harmless fun we had, and probably would have made myself look stupid on any other day, I had much more fun than I would have if I simply stood around the whole time. I feel that humility and humbleness are a characteristic many Christians seem to struggle with. Although I'm not sure if Jesus was trying to tell all of us to go jump around in the pouring rain while shouting Rihanna on top picnic tables (Yes, I did indeed do that), I feel that his message still applies in the same sense. Many people don't like to humiliate themselves, because we want to try and fit in to our social groups. Although some people have a strong urge to want to join in on fun things, they avoid it because they are afraid of what other people will think, and they feel that if they don't participate in such childish or "foolish" acts, people will look at them in a better way. What surprises me the most however, is that so many Christians feel the same exact way, when you would expect Christians to be the happiest, most out going people, many of them stand on the sidelines not wanting to stand out, not wanting to be "down to earth" so to speak with other people and make an example that they don't feel they are better than everyone else, that they are happy even though they are humiliating themselves. Instead we view people that do acts like I did as being immature, and maybe we are, but at the same time we are truly happy. I'm not saying to go out and do whatever makes you happy, since that can easily include things like drugs, alcohol abuse, and sex. But instead, humble yourself, don't stand aside because you feel you are better than that person, or are more mature than that person, because making a "fool" of yourself in public, whether it's a group of Christians, or a mixed group, isn't always a bad thing. But when you stand aside and watch other people and wish you were there, but avoid it since you have to much pride in how "mature" or "grown up" you are, that's when you start living a life of mediocrity.

Note:Just to get some ideas for your next school dance or dance party, here's some excellent ways to start humiliating yourself in public, the list includes, but is not limited too: Jumping around the dance floor and waving your arms around to the song "Jump Around", Running across the floor as a group in a V formation and pretending your a flock or birds, making up your own dances, jumping on top of picnic tables while its down pouring, making a giant wave, seeing who can crawl across the floor the furthest without getting stepped on, seeing who can dance to "Cyclone" the best, seeing who can break dance the best, having a push up contest, and many many more. (And yes, all of the things I listed I did participate in while at the dance, yes I know high schoolers are immature, and yes, the dances get very boring if you don't do these things...but hopefully your dances are better).

P.S.-Another great way to humiliate yourself with your friends is to tell them you like techno hardcore music...trust me, it always makes people laugh.