the sojourner

INTERGITY COMPONENT # 6: Oriented Towards Transcendence

Before jumping into the sixth and final component Dr. Cloud’s model indicates is necessary for an Integrated Character, answer this question:

Are You God? ___ Yes ___ No
(please take a moment and answer this now)

Most people will probably answer this question by checking the NO option. Most leaders will pick NO, but watch them after they turn in the answer sheet! Many will go about their day acting as if they are God; some even thinking they are. Having the ability to be Transcendent is the final component in discussion. The idea of humility in leaders is slowly making a comeback, but unfortunately for some organizations, it won’t be soon enough. Humility has had a negative connotation in recent past, especially in the work of corporate culture, but an honest look at what humility is really will show the its benefits.

Humility is simply this: having an honest and real idea about self.

Not bad talking yourself, but not thinking you are something you’re not. As a matter of fact, it would behoove us all, every once in awhile, to take a look at what and who we are not. For all of us who checked NO, it is necessary to look at our wake (especially the relation side) to see if the evidence indicates otherwise! We may answer the socially acceptable answer, but live as though we are God. Defining who we are not will certainly help us with who we are, and then we are free to function in humility, wholeness and effectively.

We can cause our organizations, our churches, our communities great harm, and ourselves when we try to get the bigger picture to bow to the smaller picture. In other words, if you are not God, then you must be subordinate to God, but if you think or act as though you are God, then you truly expect God (the bigger picture) to bend the knee to you (the smaller picture) and ask how the organization, church or societies in general to serve you, versus you serving them.

The immature and disintegrated character will ask how life and reality can meet its demands. Rather what we must be asking is, “How can I meet the demands of life and reality?”