I heard a story about some mountain goats that lived near the top of a rocky mountain.

Around one end of the mountain was a narrow ledge. It was only a foot wide. Fortunately, mountain goats can navigate narrow ledges.

One goat started to walk around the ledge from one side of the mountain, and another goat started to walk around from the other side. They met each other half way, face to face. Because the ledge was so narrow, they couldn’t get past each other. They just stood there, staring at each other.

What were they going to do?

But then one goat knelt down—first his front legs, and then the back—so that the other goat could go over top of him and continue on his way! After he had done this, the goat that had knelt down got up and continued on his way as well.

Even though it’s not a very popular idea, following Jesus involves sacrifice. He said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

And while this certainly involves large sacrifices, it involves small ones too—like letting go of our need to be first, like needing to seem better than others, and like always having to be right.

Because it’s about Jesus, not us.

And that kind of humility is a gift to a weary world which continues to zap itself with the stun gun of rivalry, vanity and volume.

It’s a gift to your friends, to your family, to your coworkers or classmates, to your neighbours… and to yourself.

Humility is a ripple effect of grace through the human race.

By Matthew Ruttan

–“Up!” is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on February 24.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.