Get Over Yourself
by Diana Derringer*
“ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself”
(Galatians 6:3 NKJV).
As a Christian writer, I learned an important lesson from NBA coach Gregg Popovich, who said he looks for people who “have gotten over themselves.” If a sports team expects to win, the players must work together. Some players receive more publicity and become better known than others. Team members also have different personalities and abilities. However, without unity, the team faces certain failure.
Each player has a unique role, personality, and vision for a contest’s outcome. Yet during the game, those distinctive characteristics must intertwine and conform to the team role, personality, and vision. Every player must remember, as Kentucky’s state motto declares, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
If I want my writing to make a positive difference for God, I must outgrow the infantile stage of thinking the world revolves around me. I can develop empathy for the experiences and emotions of others. I need to recognize the void in the lives of those who don’t know Jesus. I must also value the gifts of my Christian brothers and sisters and work with them to reach our hurting world.
Some writers receive more recognition than others. We all make mistakes from time to time. God calls us to personal growth. We grow best when planted together, encouraging, forgiving, and learning from one another.
Unity doesn’t negate differences. Pursuit of common goals need not destroy unique personalities and preferences. Recognition and respect do not guarantee total agreement. Nevertheless, God calls us to work together to share everlasting love and life.
Let us allow the Holy Spirit to show us how to pursue the perfect plan for our individual lives and as members of God’s writing family.
Thank you, God, for creating us as unique individuals equipped to join others in your service according to your design. Amen.
Diana Derringer, author of Beyond Bethlehem and Calvary and caregiver for her husband, shares hope and joy through more than 1,200 devotions, articles, dramas, Bible studies, and poems in 70-plus publications, plus several anthologies. She also writes radio and television programs for Christ to the World Ministries. Enjoy her Words, Wit, and Wisdom: Life Lessons from English Expressions at dianaderringer.com.
*This article first appeared in The Secret Place, reprinted with permission.
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