Hello! We’re kicking off a fun month here at Five Minute Friday, as we’ll be enjoying a four-week guest post series in the month of March featuring a different FMF community member each week!
I’ve asked four different FMF writers to choose the prompts for this month.
This week’s featured Five Minute Friday community member is Carole Duff. Carole is sharing a guest post below and chose our prompt for the week.
If you’re new to the Five Minute Friday community, you can click here to learn more about the link-up.
Be sure to join the mailing list to receive the weekly writing prompts in your inbox!
This week’s FMF writing prompt is: PURSUE
Please enjoy the following guest post from FMF community member, Carole Duff:
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
~ 1 Timothy 6:11 ,NIV
What did I pursue as a youth in the springtime of life? Acceptance, achievement, attractiveness, and autonomy. What as a summer-season adult? Affirmation, commitment to family and work, and most of all success. Now in the autumn of my life, I pursue challenges and growth opportunities, health, and humility, my word for 2025. But is humility something we can pursue?
One night at dinner, I asked my husband that question. He said, “I don’t think so. Humility is a mindset, the opposite of pride, something to keep in mind as you pursue virtue. Anytime you suspect pride, congratulating yourself for being a good person, that’s not humility.” He paused. “It’s hard because we want to feel good about doing good.”
I nodded. “From my reading, I know humility requires emptying oneself, as Jesus did, hollowing one’s self, turning from ourselves to God alone. So, maybe we shouldn’t pursue humility in and of itself, because we’re tempted toward looking good.” Pride. Greedy for attention and accolades as I’ve behaved and still do, my humility yet feeble and superficial.
Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance (steadfastness), and gentleness, the fruit of the Spirit that Paul encourages Timothy—and us—to pursue. But first I must flee from pride, learn humility from Jesus, and practice the emptying.
+++
Carole Duff is a veteran teacher, flutist, and writer.
She posts weekly to her blog Notes from Vanaprastha and has written for Brevity Blog, Cleaver Magazine, and Huffington Post, among others.
Carole is a regular contributor to The Sage Forum. Her faith memoir Wisdom Builds Her House released in August 2024.
+++
Join the link-up with your own five-minute freewrite on the prompt, PURSUE, below, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment:
I don’t pursue humility,
and I must admit
that it’s not a-chasin’ me,
and I don’t give a…hoot,
’cause I know that I am the best
thing that God has made,
way beyond all the rest
and I put Elvis in the shade.
With my shades and biker beard,
my Winchester ball cap,
strong men’s eyes have often teared
when they see the trap
of the load they try to tote
when they imitate the G.O.A.T.
I agree with your husband. Humility shows up when we forget to look in the mirror and focus our gaze on Jesus. Then He gives us eyes to see others. I guess this learning takes a lifetime because we sure do like to see how humble we are becoming! 😉
I left a comment the other day, but it’s not showing up.
Just that I liked your husband’s response to your question.
That’s a deep reflection Carole. Thank you.
I like CS Lewis’ view of humility – not thinking less of yourself, but thinking about yourself less.
And a scripture somewhere that speaks of ‘preferring others’, an equality that yet puts others first.
hmm…. practice the emptying. interesting turn of phrase. will ponder it. FMF14