Consider the parable of the master who entrusts his money to three servants while he travels for some time. One hid the money, not investing it or trading with it to earn more for the master upon his return.
There are two points to remember here for the sake of this column: 1) This inaction was done mostly out of fear of failure and 2) This was the master’s money.
Now consider today’s world-class athletes. To reach the heights of their respective sport they most likely have overcome paralyzing fear of failure, although it is still evident according to sports psychologists.
However, we all must remember that their talents were given to them by God. They have done an incredible job in utilizing what they have been given, but they always need to give credit to the Creator who gave them the opportunity to begin with.
An excellent definition of humility is “The virtue of being aware that God is the author of all that is good and the realization that we are not God” (Catholic Athletes for Christ core virtues).
While we still witness plenty of arrogance and brashness among athletes, there are many who demonstrate a more humble approach in how they perform their sport and speak about their accomplishments.
“As an athlete (or in life) you are either humble or you will be humbled,” MLB coach and former player Rich Donnelly said in an interview with me.
As a competitor I used to always find that when I allowed myself to be self-congratulatory, even briefly, I would soon make an error that brought me down to earth in a hurry.
Athletes can go through losing streaks, career-threatening injury, or major tragedies, all of which remind us of our littleness.
As a devout Catholic, Donnelly came to understand this after his daughter died from an illness. “Talent is God-given … be humble. Fame is man-given … be grateful. Conceit is self-given … be careful,” wrote John Wooden, author of Wooden on Leadership.
This perennially winning basketball coach and devout Christian saw humility as a vital quality in great leaders. He also wrote that “There is only one kind of life that truly wins … the one that places faith in the hands of the saviour.”
Those who are self promoting don’t often get others to follow them. Wooden also recognized dangers in conceit; it will motivate competitors to bring you down and the fall can be shockingly hard.
“I don’t celebrate (when I score) because I am only doing my job,” said Italian soccer star Mario Balotelli in a post-game interview). Having humility should remind us that in our particular field we are only doing what God has asked of us and our employers pays us to do.
We must also be cognizant of not showing up our opponent.
“I pray every night … I don’t brag … ’m no better than anyone else in God’s sight,” NFL quarterback and Christian Hall of Famer Peyton Manning said when asked about fame and faith.
All of us have our different gifts in life, be it in sports, music, academia, business, etc. Because sports receives such attention in our society, athletes can be seduced into thinking they are more important than others. Not so. We all should make a point of finding out more about those we work with or spend time around. Make a point of talking about what their gifts happen to be. It is wonderful to hear athletes deflect attention from themselves after winning championships and speaking about God, parents, coaches, teammates, and others who played a role in their success.
“Be kind to everyone you meet on the way up because you will see them again on your way down.” I was told this by my parents when I was beginning my tennis career. Ultimate success can be fleeting, and we need to always keep this in perspective.
Of all the virtues we are taught as Catholics, humility is always seen as one of the most important, a root of many other virtues. Just as Jesus washing the feet of the apostles showed incredible humility, being humble allows us to truly love God and others, to serve others, and to have an attitude of gratitude in our daily life.
