How Low Can You Go?

How Low Can You Go?
Humility: The First Step to Promotion
“Attitude” Series

I. Introduction
(The following is a parable that I made up as an introduction. It is fictional. For a story of similar proportion, see the movie RADIO.)
He was never an all-star athlete, although he wanted to be. He didn’t have what it takes. Bobby’s body was disproportionate; one leg was longer than the other was, so he walked funny. And to see him run was definitely a sight for sore eyes. He always liked sports, in fact, every Friday night, he would be at his high school cheering on whatever team was playing that night--basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis. If there was a game, he was there, sporting pom-poms and a foam finger that said his team was number one.
One Friday night, the football coach noticed his dedication to the team, so he asked him if he’d like to be the water boy. Bobby was amazed. Besides all the stares and giggles because of his limp, he had never thought anyone ever noticed him, especially Coach Gordon. Bobby had tried out for the football team two years earlier, and the coach sent him packing. “You’re too…uncoordinated,” he said. But now, the chance to be the water boy. Bobby jumped on the opportunity and the next week, he was at practice everyday, filling cups with water and making sure every player had something to drink when he needed it.
Every now and then, a couple of the players would make fun of him. However, Bobby loved his position as the teams water boy and wasn’t going to quit. His parents told him that being the water boy on a team was the lowest of the low, and that they would never stoop so low as to being the water boy. In spite of his parents’ comments, Bobby was diligent to serve as the teams water boy for the entire season. The next year, Bobby’s senior year, Coach appointed Bobby as his personal assistant. Coach Gordon was so pleased with Bobby’s heart, that he took him in and taught him everything he knew about football. Bobby went on to college the next year, and in addition to his studies, Coach Gordon had asked him to be the assistant coach. Bobby helped coach the team all throughout college where he graduated with a degree in Sports Management. Bobby continued to move up the ladder and at the end of his career, he had won two Super Bowls and owned his own football team.
What was the first step to Bobby’s success? Do you think if Bobby was “too good” to be the water boy that he would have had such success in football?
Tonight we’re going to talk about humility: the first step to promotion.

II. First Things First
What is humility?
Humility is the exact opposite of pride. Pride means to puff oneself up. A prideful person is always talking about himself. Every sentence begins with I and ends with me. A humble person, therefore, is one who puts everyone else before himself. A humble person puts himself on the bottom of the list. A humble person always looks out for others and makes it a point to serve them.
Philippians 2:3 “3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Humility is considering others better than yourself.

III. Humble Yourself Before Somebody Humbles You
Luke 14:7-11 (MSG) “Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, “When someone invites you to dinner,