Humiliation or Humility?
On typos and other mistakes
It was brought to my attention a while ago that my logo for The One Necessary Thing contained a typo— it read The One Necessray Thing.
I corrected it immediately, so I haven’t paid attention to it since. However, I was just (gently) told1 again that this typo exists; apparently, the change didn’t take, and it’s been floating around in all its dyslexic glory ever since! I think I finally have it fixed, but oh, how that one little typo tempted me to feel humiliated—Just how many people noticed and thought I was—incapable, oblivious, not professional, etc.? You get the idea.
Confession:
Humiliation is something I have struggled with for years. In my late teens and early twenties, I made some poor choices that landed me in compromising situations. The domino effect created by those choices changed my life drastically. For years, I carried deep shame over the direction my life had gone. Additionally, I’ve had more than a few mortifying situations happen to me that added layers of humiliation to the heavy cloak I already wore. After all that, even simple things like typos or clumsiness would make me frantically look for the nearest rock to hide under (it was debilitating!).
Over the years, Jesus has unraveled so many of these layers. His grace, peace, love, mercy, and forgiveness have been woven into the tapestry of my life, and it’s a much lighter garment. I’m so thankful. But a few stubborn threads of humiliation remained, knotted in the tender places of my soul. I didn’t even know they were there until some other recent events brought them to light, and I was able to receive deeper healing and freedom from this oppressive spirit of humiliation.
God is so good to reveal things that still need to be dealt with, and sometimes he uses unusual ways to highlight his goodness. Not long ago, this typo would have deeply humiliated me. But God used this little faux pas to show me that more healing has indeed happened. The public mistake still causes some embarrassment, but rather than humiliation, I feel humility:
I am a fallible human. I make mistakes.
Sometimes I flip my letters around and spellcheck lets it slide.
Sometimes I lose my balance and fall.
Sometimes I struggle with anger and anxiety.
Sometimes I say things I regret.
I’d love to always look polished and professional and never say or do the wrong thing— but that’s not my reality, and I have to be humble enough to accept that.
I’m stumbling toward the perfection that awaits in glory, but in the meantime, I get to live in the perfection that Jesus offers— his righteousness becomes mine because I’ve given my life to him.
As I grow more into his likeness, my sinful mistakes are fewer and are covered by his grace as I confess and repent.
And those pesky typos and inevitable clumsiness I’m bound to experience again?
They don’t define who I am.
They’re not a reason for humiliation—they’re simply a part of being human. And that is what I am. An imperfect human, abiding in the perfection of my Savior, awaiting the day when “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
You (both) know who you are! Thanks for letting me know 😘 #truefriends