«Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave» (Matthew 20:26, 27).
DO YOU KNOW Aesop’s fable about the hare and the tortoise? It says that one day, a hare was making fun of the slowness with which the tortoise was walking. «Hey, tortoise, don’t run so fast,» he would say to her with irony.
The tortoise, very intelligently, said to the hare, «You may be as fast as the wind, but in a competition, I would beat you. Come on, let’s have a race:’
«You would beat me?’ the hare repeated skeptically. «Impossible!!!» Completely conceited, he accepted the challenge.
The day of the race arrived. They both started at the same time, with many present to witness the moment. The tortoise did not stop walking for a single moment and advanced toward the finish line; the hare, confident in his superiority as a sprinter over the slow tortoise, decided to rest for a while along the way, However he fell asleep. When he awoke, he saw how the tortoise was calmly reaching the finish line.
This ancient fable deals with topics that are so in style, it is incredible—to begin with, bullying, that bad habit of making fun of people we consider «inferior.» Inferior in what? «I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of day» (Job 33:6, NIV).
To continue, there is the problem of overconfidence that is as common outside as within the church. Although it is true that «God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power» (2 Timothy 1:7), it is not from us that power and abilities come. It is in Christ that I can do everything, since He is the One who strengthens me (see Philippians 4:13).
If you notice, the person who receives more requests to preach may not be the best speaker, but the one who, with simplicity and humility, prepares the topics, trusts in the Lord, and connects with the people. In university, the best academic record may not be that of the most brilliant student, but that of the one who, like a little ant, puts the effort every day into studying what the professor explains and humbly reaches glory. Perhaps you are one of those super-talented women; very good. However, do not confuse talent with pride, vainglory, or feelings of superiority. Talents are to be used for the Lord and to give Him honor.