Humility & Bearded Dragons

Several years ago a friend gave his son a pet he had been asking for - a bearded dragon.  It was a pretty cool pet.  Watching it eat crickets was quite entertaining, as was watching his son (italics) hold it!  But it was also a lot of work to take care of a bearded dragon.  The work took some of the fun out of owning a bearded dragon.  My friend said something to me one time that I will never forget: "My son liked the idea of having a dragon; he just didn't like actually having it."  He's an insightful dad!  Eventually the bearded dragon grew so huge they had to give it to a zoo.  But the principle has stuck with me.  I think it applies to me and humility.

It seems that most of the time I really like the idea of being humble.  It's actually becoming humble that a don't like too much.  Years ago Murray pointed out this tendency.

"Oh, beware of the mistake so many make, who would fain to be humble, but are afraid to be too humble.  They have so many qualifications and limitations, so many reasonings and questionings, as to what true humility is to be and to do, that they never unreservedly yield themselves to it.  Beware of this."

That sounds a lot like me.  I want to be humble; I just don't want to become humble.  I don't want to go through the trials and relational difficulties that God uses to develop humility.  Only when I am willing to gladly accept the one in order to get the other will I know what it is to be humble.