Jesus once said that when someone invites you over, don’t take the best seat. Someone else more important might have also been invited. In that case, the host might come over and tell you to move.
Instead, Jesus said to grab the worst seat. That way, when the host sees you there, if he asks you to move at all, he’ll ask you to move up.
This advice can extend to other situations as well. For instance, instead of claiming to know something or know how to do something, I’ve been learning to say, “I’m learning how to. . .”
- Instead of saying I play drums, I can say, “I’m learning how to play drums.”
- Instead of saying I teach English, I can say, “I’m learning how to teach English.”
- Instead of saying I speak Spanish, I can say, “I’m learning how to speak Spanish.”
- Instead of saying I write, I can say, “I’m learning how to write.”
- Instead of saying I try new things, I can say, “I’m learning how to try new things.”
- Instead of saying I experiment, I can say, “I’m learning how to experiment.”
- Instead of saying I do scary stuff, I can say, “I’m learning how to do scary stuff.”
- Instead of saying I follow Jesus, I can say, “I’m learning how to follow Jesus.”
Someone else is always better. Someone else is always more important. Positioning myself as the best or most important almost forces others to challenge me.
On the other hand, they’re less likely to challenge a learner. They’re less likely to question, in a bad way, those who admit they don’t know it all.
It’s easier to follow someone who’s still walking than someone who’s already arrived.
