Years ago when I traveled often through airports for the company I worked for, I was passing through a busy terminal at Houston Intercontinental. It was one of those terminals with many gates around a circle. So when I mean busy-I mean super…crowded…busy.

I was tired and was dragging a rolling suitcase along with a bag on my shoulder. If you’ve ever had to travel for a living you’ll know it’s never as glamorous as people want to believe. It can be exhausting and hard on the body.

Somehow as I was walking off the plane and through the terminal to the long walkway, I tripped.

It was a center stage moment with a glaring, hot spotlight. I felt my face flush immediately.

At one moment’s notice, and in the slowest motion I’ve ever felt, both my feet were off the ground and I landed on top of my luggage. My hands never caught my fall.

On…Top…Of…My…Luggage…(sigh)

There was no escape from the humiliation.

My immediate internal reaction was, “You have got to be kidding me…” I was mortified. I could not even overcome the embarrassment enough to look around for fear of what I might see. One sweet man walked quickly to me and said, “Are you ok?” I quickly grabbed every piece of dignity that had been shattered and said, “Yes, thank you, I am fine.” I’m not sure I even looked him in the eye as I put one foot in front of the other.

If I had had the courage to glance around I am certain many were laughing…or trying not to. I mean. It was, I am certain, a hilarious moment.

I set my face like flint and called my friend, “You will not believe what I just did.” Somehow it made it better to laugh with a trusted friend. I never looked back. I just kept walking.

There are times in our walk with Christ that a moment comes whereby we feel our dignity has been stripped away. When all manner of attacks come and wage war on our character and pride.

I imagine Jonah felt a bit like this, don’t you? The great prophet who harkens the coming destruction to a city and then God is moved by mercy and refrains. Jonah knew this was possible. We see it clearly in the following text:

-So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.-

Jonah 4:2

So much for Jonah’s dignity, eh?

You, and I, will at times think we missed it and all dignity has been lost but nothing is further from the truth. God’s ways are higher. His heart was for the city of Nineveh. He knew them intimately and loved them. He desires all men to come to repentance. In all honesty, we must at times allow God to sacrifice our own dignity for the sake of His Kingdom. It will, often, be a hard pill to swallow.

This is part of yielding to the plan of God even when we are used in a way that seems to bring an unexpected, or personal pain, that serves the good of others.

I don’t feel like Paul wanted to ever be in prison. If it were his choice, alone, he would likely opt-out and choose another way. Yet, in the dampness of solitude and personal suffering were written words and letters for generations to come.

The disciples died to worldly dignity. So shall we if we want to be used mightily of God.

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Dignity: the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.

-a sense of pride in oneself; self-respect.

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Strong’s Definitions

מָרוֹם mârôwm, maw-rome’; from H7311; altitude, i.e. concretely (an elevated place), abstractly (elevation, figuratively (elation), or adverbially (aloft):—(far) above, dignity, haughty, height, (most, on) high (one, place), loftily, upward.