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There is an old Rabbinic tradition that encourages people to observe the following practice:
Keep a piece of paper in each of your pockets. On one, write: “I am only dust and ashes,” and on the other: “The world was created for me.”
As human beings, we are prone to either pride or despair. When we are in moments of pride and arrogance, we need the reminder that we are only dust—we are mere creatures and without the grace of the Creator, we are nothing.
When we are in moments of despair and feeling worthless, we need the other reminder: “the world was created for me.” Or better yet, “I am made a little lower than the heavenly beings.” Or best of all, “Through the Spirit, I have unique gifts that contribute to God’s coming Kingdom.”
So yes, two reminders: One that reminds us to be humble:
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. — Proverbs 11:2
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. — Romans 12:3
Another that reminds us to embrace how special we are:
You have made us a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned us with glory and honor. — Psalm 8:5
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. — 1 Peter 2:9
The messages on these pieces of paper encourage us to hold the tension between pride and despair. Chances are that you need one of the messages more than the other. In other words, you are more prone to either arrogance or hopelessness.
Either way, the key is not to swing the pendulum to the other side, but to live in the tension because each of us are both. We are both great and small.
One of the ways that we embrace both is by allowing the Vine-grower to prune those parts of us that are on the extremes. If we are prideful & arrogant, God wants to prune that branch. If we are downcast and hopeless, God wants to prune that branch.
TODAY’s ACTION: What would you think of carrying two pieces of paper around with you today? On one, you could write “I am only dust & ashes” or Prov. 11:2 or Romans 12:3. On the other, you could write, “The world was created for me” or “I am made a little lower than the heavenly beings.” or “Through the Spirit, I have unique gifts that contribute to God’s coming Kingdom.”
PS. There’s a group called “Butterflyfish” that has a great children’s song about this. You can listen to it here and the lyrics are below.
“Great & Small” by Butterflyfish
Deep down here inside my pocket
There’s a little piece of paper
Take it out and read it
When I’m feelin’ out of shape or
To keep my fears at bay
It says: “You are great!”
Deep down in my other pocket
There’s another piece of paper
Take it out and read it
When I’m gettin’ into shape or
When I’m walkin’ tall
It says: “You are small!”
CHORUS:
Cause you are great and small
You are tiny and tall
Remember through it all
You are great and small!
Heard it said that we are made
In the image of the Maker
So I wrote that down
On a little piece of paper
Read it every day
“Remember, you are great!”
Then again, I know we built a
Lot of tall, tall steeples,
The whole wide world is
More than just us people
So through it all
Remember “We are small”
CHORUS
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