There are certain phrases that those of us who are part of the church in general and ministry in particular should never use as self-descriptors.
In other words, we should never say them about ourselves . . . but we should be grateful if others say them about us.
Here are a few:
- Claim to be a “man of God” or “woman of God.”
- Lift up our own “integrity.” (It’s why I never could wear those Promise Keepers shirts in the 90s — the tag line said “Men Of Integrity.”)
- Refer to our own level of “spiritual maturity.”
- Speak of ourselves as having “class” — including the two most ubiquitous phrases in the in the “class” family: classy and a class act.
- Emphasize the depth of our “sincerity” or “honesty.”
- And of course, we shouldn’t boast of our humility.
I suspect that if we claim to have any of the above qualities, it’s a good indication we don’t.