Lets talk about “pride.” I wonder why the Bible says God really does not like pride in people. We think of “black pride” and taking pride in who we are. We think of being proud of our accomplishments and I know, those are all good things.

But let us talk about the pride that says, “I am better than you.” “I am entitled to more in life than you are.” “You do not deserve what I deserve.” Now, most people do not admit this openly. But we think it. We believe it. Here is the problem with this type of thinking.

“Creatureliness” is the appreciation of the fact that God/Source/Creator creates everything and we have no genuine role in it. All I am entitled to do is to appreciate that I am a created creature and you are a created creature and there is creation all around us to enjoy, interact with and appreciate. In this “creatureliness,” we get to be humble and appreciate that nothing else, absolutely nothing else, is required of us. Get that. Let me repeat. Nothing else is required of you but to be.

Now, when you accept your creatureliness, you get to admire and appreciate yourself as a creature of God and you get to admire and appreciate what is in front of you as creation from God. In that appreciation and admiration is where responsibility lies. I cannot see my co-creation suffering and not respond in love, trying to bring them/he/her up to where I am. I cannot hate this “other” aspect of creation that has as much creatureliness as me. I cannot try and oppress or be above this other creatureliness that I am beholding in front of me.

You see, when you do not accept your creatureliness and you think you had something to do with creating who you are, you then erroneously think you are better than others. Here is the thing that you do not realize in your pride: You do not have to prove your goodness, perfection, beauty, capacity, excellence or any such thing to God! Ergo, you do not have to prove it to the creations of God. Further ergo, don’t bother trying to prove a darn thing!!!

As you are, your being is fully loved and respected and adored. As you are. Believe it. So please, just be. You do not have to prove to air that you need it to breathe! You do not have to prove to the sun that you need sunshine to thrive. You are just that way.

I struggled with being loved for a very long time. Somewhere my love DNA got wonky and I thought I had to prove myself not just to others, but even God, my Designer. My identity revolved around what I did and not specifically who God designed me to be. I thought I had to perform for others to love me or respect me or admire me or give me business so that I could thrive. However, as painful as it is to admit, I was my own problem. I thought I had to prove, to God, how “good” I was. You see, often, the Church, in her attempts to live out her understanding of the Gospel, harms people with false and erroneous teaching. I thought morality and “getting it right” was as necessary as air.

When I started to understand that I was just a creature, created for delight, that each breath I take is the loving adoration of our Creator saying “Iyabo, I designed air so I can smile as I watch you breath,” I got it. I got, and get, that I am already good enough. Good enough for what? Good enough to do the work my soul must do. I was designed for it. Ditto for you, beloved.

You and I are so much more than the work we do, the type of job we have, the label of accomplishment that we bear. We are so much more than our perfect good looks. We are so much more than our amazing skill or talent. We are these amazing intricate creatures, crafted in delight and love with a profound capacity to purposefully thrive.

Humility is being, being who God designed you to be, being the full expression of the glory of God. Humility says, “Relax. You have nothing to prove.”

Be.

You are beautiful.

Be.

How do you define “creatureliness?”