Philippians 2:3

Do nothing according to selfish ambition or empty conceit but with humility/modesty regard one another as higher/better than yourselves.

I’ve spent the past year of my life in the academic bubble of doctoral work (after spending four and a half years in the bubble of graduate work/seminary). My world now is very different than the world that I inhabited before. Throughout this journey I’ve been reminded of the lessons that my granddaddy taught me as a children. He always taught us that we shouldn’t confuse intellect and knowledge. He warned us against conflating academic acumen with wisdom. Never have his words resonated with me more than during my current experience.

I don’t mean this as a rebuke against anyone. I simply mean it to be a corrective for all those who are privileged in any way. More education, more titles, more money, more opportunity, more power (whether that power is exercised in the board room or the church) does not mean better. At some point we all have to stop patting ourselves on the back for all that we have achieved and/or accumulated.  The positions that we have attained are intended to serve God’s purpose not our own. Our gifts and talents are simply the means through which the kingdom of God is intended to be glorified and the people of God are intended to be glorified.