53: Generosity in Humility

"...pride is to be feared even when we do right actions, lest those things which are done in a praiseworthy manner be spoiled by the desire for praise itself."

I sought wisdom from Augustine.  First, from Augustine’s book, On the Happy Life, published in 386 AD.  And, then from his letter 118, written in 410 AD.

Reflection questions:

• How often are we confronted with the mountain of pride in how we carry out your fund development work?

• How can we lead with humility in our generosity?

These works have entered the public domain.

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back to this podcast where we focus on the wisdom of generosity, from ancient to modern.  If you find these five minute reflections on being a person in the beautiful space where generosity occurs, please share this podcast in your fundraising networks.  And, if this is the first time joining us, don’t forget to go back to previous episodes for the rich insights.

This week, I am celebrating one year of podcasts!  Thank you for journeying along with me as we together reflect on generosity. 

Last week, we explored the role of public pledging.  This week, I’ve thought about the role of pride and humility in generosity.

 How does generosity change when given from a place of pride?  What about from a place of humility? 

For these questions, I sought wisdom from Augustine.  First, from Augustine’s book, On the Happy Life, published in 386 AD.  And, then from his letter 118, written in 410 AD.

Describing pride as a mountain, Augustine wrote:

"For all these men in whatever way brought to the region of the happy life find an immerse mountain standing squarely at the front of the port, causing great difficulties to the incoming sailors an object of grave fear and one to be avoided with the upmost care. It has a great glamour and is clothed with an enticing light."

He goes on to say about the mountain of pride:

"So empty and groundless inwardly, it submerges and absorbs the conceited through its crackling, fragile ground upon which they presently walk and throws them back into the darkness and snatches away the home [of a happy life], so much desired and almost in sight."

How does Augustine encourage us to avoid the mountain of pride?  He wrote:

"In that way the first part is humility; the second, humility; the third, humility: and this I would continue to repeat as often as you might ask direction, not that there are no other instructions which may be given, but because, unless humility precede, accompany, and follow every good action which we perform, being at once the object which we keep before our eyes, the support to which we cling, and the monitor by which we are restrained, pride wrests wholly from our hand any good work on which we are congratulating ourselves. All other vices are to be apprehended when we are doing wrong; but pride is to be feared even when we do right actions, lest those things which are done in a praiseworthy manner be spoiled by the desire for praise itself."

We have all certainly a gift be spoiled by pride.  While we cannot control how a gift is given, we can control ourselves.  We can seek to be generous from a place of humility.  We can seek to give without the desire for praise - even when it’s a public pledge.

Let’s reflect on two questions:

How often are we confronted with the mountain of pride in how we carry out your fund development work?

How can we lead with humility in our generosity?

Share this podcast if you enjoy these five-minute reflections and subscribe to receive these reflections released every Monday. To explore fundraising coaching deeper, visit Serving Nonprofits dot com. See you next week.