FRIDAYS WITH FRED: EGO, PRIDE, HUMILITY
Recently my brother Larry relayed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s comments to me. Giannis is the shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks that won the 2021 NBA championship.
Giannis was asked by the media how he dealt with the mental pressures of basketball. His reply: “First, pressure is earned. When I think about my past, I call it my ego. When I think about my future, I call it my pride. When I think about my present, I call it my humility. Therefore, I have chosen to live in humility, not in my ego and pride.”
This young superstar athlete, although making $280 million, nailed this life philosophy:
- EGO lives in the PAST.
- PRIDE lives in the FUTURE.
- HUMILITY lives in the PRESENT MOMENT.
Profoundly, humility leads to honor and exaltation by God… in His time. Exaltation is not our job, but “bowing down” is. The disciple Peter also agreed with this concept (I Peter 5:6).
The disciple Matthew gave a simple explanation of how to balance our concerns and God’s concerns (Matthew 6:25-34). Often we seem to be preoccupied with getting rather than responding to God’s giving. Instead, if we prioritize a godly life, we will then discover that we will not miss out on having our everyday cares also met. This is how to live in the present moment free from internal pressure. This is true HUMILITY.
