Bill Wellons, one of the finest leaders and pastors I’ve ever known, once told me that perhaps the most important leadership trait we must possess is self-awareness. Many people are clueless. They think they are more than they are and are filled with pride. Or they believe they are less than they are, and are timid and lack courage. They don’t realize the source of all they have, and so they are proud. And on and on.
For many years, I kept this verse on my desk.
"What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:3)
This verse helps us. It balances us with several truths. If believed and understood, it gives us a proper view of ourselves. Self-awareness.
I AM NOTHING WITHOUT CHRIST!
I have seen my life without Christ. It’s not pretty. I am sinful and selfish. Capable of the worst. I need to remember this. When I walk away from the presence of God—which I can easily do—my life finds its worst version.
But I also must remember that everything good has come because of Him. I can take no credit, for everything I have is not of my doing. Even if my hands produced it, He gave me hands … and life, breath, and opportunity. This should make me exceedingly humble and eternally grateful. One who keeps this verse embedded in the forefront of their mind is on the road to healthy self-awareness.
BUT I AM SOMETHING WITH CHRIST!
On the converse side, I am fearfully and wonderfully made by Christ. If I have been saved by His grace, He has chosen to take up His dwelling place in me! I am the temple of the Holy Spirit! I have all the power, wisdom, and life I need in Him. I should fear nothing and worry about nothing. I can be confident in any circumstance for He is with me. Christ is my all in all, and His supplies are inexhaustible. I must be aware that it is all because of Christ, but with Him, nothing is impossible.
It's sad to meet a man who is clueless about his life. He thinks he has accomplished things by his own doing and should be praised, or he thinks that he can do nothing and hides behind the baggage. Both are a waste of a glorious life.
But a man or woman with the proper view of themselves can be a strong yet humble force for the kingdom of God. What a mighty creature we can become when we realize who we are in Christ … and that all the glory goes to Him!
