Unpretentious

Un·pre·ten·tious

adjective

• not attempting to impress others with an appearance of greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed.

Unpretentious. When I think of a word that should describe a Christian, I think of unpretentious. The act of becoming more like Jesus (1 Jn 2:6) should inevitably lead to the desire for less of oneself and more of Him (Jn 3:30). I was reminded of this lesson one day as I found myself praying in a labyrinth. As I walked to the interior of the labyrinth, centered myself and made my way out, I stumbled across this snail. A snail is an animal in creation that is often looked down upon for its features (or lack thereof), its inability to move quickly, and oftentimes its alleged unimportance. However, taking a step back to look past its plain features, slow pace of life and lack of haughtiness, the snail plays a foundational role in the animal kingdom. The snail is paramount in the successfulness of the circle of life by taking away the dead things so that life can come about. Without the snail, dead things would consume and choke out the new life that needs to come. A seemingly unimportant animal playing a vital role in the emergence of life and growth. 

Maybe this is what unpretentiousness looks like. It looks plain, slow, and seemingly unimportant. However, through these characteristics and the pursuit of something other than oneself, life and growth can be had.

 Maybe this is what Jesus is talking about when He instructs the Pharisees saying, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11). Or when Paul said,  “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:2-5). Become unpretentious so that the power of God might be seen through your actions. In the daily act of overcoming death with life, let us remember the power that lies behind the continual act of becoming unpretentious.

Prayer

Lord, help us to become more like Jesus who desired to do nothing but what He saw You do. (Jn 5:19). Bless us with the ability to become unpretentious for the sake of revealing not ourselves, but your work and power through us. For You and Your Kingdom. Amen.