Not for Show

What is Humility?

Humility is not actively being humble or wearing extremely modest clothes. If you are trying to be humble, you are in fact being prideful. Actions with the intent of being humble are in fact prideful because they are self focused. Humility is having a correct view in who you are in relation to God. Having a correct ideal on who you are and how every single one of your actions bring honor to God. Actions with the intent on bringing glory to God are humble. Therefore, without intentionally trying to become humble, you begin to truly exhibit humility in it's truest form.

Pride is something I struggle with. I am selfish and prideful. Everyone is to some extent, but it is something that I have to work on daily.


Now for the story.

I got selected to be the Junior representative for the homecoming court. Great right? I was excited that I got to dress up with some friends, who were also on the court. We were going to look super pretty and have a great time. The attention was going to be on us. I got so excited for the homecoming football game.

It was about one week away from homecoming. I had gone dress shopping with my friend and was ready for the big night. My dress was hanging in the hallway and I was ready to go. Then one night I sat down to watch a movie. It was one of those movie nights that you don't exactly know what the movie is about, but it has great reviews. The movie was Not For Sale. This movie was about sex trafficking in India and Africa. No movie has made me more emotional or more angry. Especially in India, the people over there are under the Cast System. I do not know much about this system, but I know that you cannot move up a class. You are stuck in the class in which you are born in. The lowest class has the nickname of "The Untouchables." They are completely rejected from society.
  The Dalits.

Often times, the Dalit parents and their children go days without food and water. They are beyond poor. They become desperate for food for their children. They cannot get a job and they are living in the streets. 

Do you know anything more hopeless?

Men come up to these Dalit parents telling them they want to buy their children from them. They decieve these parents in telling them that this will give their children a better life. They will have food and good education. They will live in comfort.  These parents sell their children to these men offering to buy them. They are under the impression that they are giving their children a better life.

What they do not know is that they just sold their child into Sex Trafficking. 

The Sex trafficking industry is straight from the devil. It is an evil that cannot even be described. Millions of children are sold into Sex Trafficking a year. It is slavery. We as americans are under the impression that slavery ended.

We are entirely wrong.

As I was watching this movie, ready to go to India and fight, I looked over into the hallway. There hung my homecoming dress and it looked faded in the dark light. I was disgusted at the fact that I was so focused on a homecoming dress and myself, when things like that are going on in the world. We are so focused on the comfort of our little world. New Cars, new clothes, homecoming, prom, dates, boyfriends, vacations, beach trips, outward appearances, and momentary pleasures. All along, sex trafficking (among other things) are happening around the world.

I also have a pen pal in Uganda. Through her and her letters, God has shown me who He is and that life is not about myself. I have discovered that I find true and pure joy in reaching out to other people and loving on them.

All of a sudden homecoming became non-important to me. I was no longer wrapped up in myself and prideful about the fact that I was on the homecoming court. 

I was humbled like never before.

Friday night, as I walked onto the field, I was joyful that I had the opportunity to shine my light before others, but I will never forget what I said to my dad on that field as we were standing before the crowd.

"Dad, I am so glad this not  the stuff I live for."

Dad "What do you mean, Avery?"

"It's already over, Daddy.""

Dad, "I love you."

I never would have guessed that Jesus would teach me humility by placing me before a crowd of cheering people. However, He humbled me more than I ever would have imagined. Why do we as a society get wrapped up in all these fleeting things? Girls are being sex trafficked and sold into slavery everyday as we lay on our couches consumed with our flesh. The things we usually pour our lives into, do NOT matter.

What is worth living for?