First off, I need to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all my donors and supporters! I am officially fully funded and that need can be marked off my list. Believe me, that is such a huge relief getting ready to go into this big adventure. I leave for Atlanta on January 9th, and we launch to Nicaragua on January 13th. Y’all, I cannot believe it’s here. This could be my last post before we take off for our journey around the world. So, y’all really should subscribe to get email notifications of updates because they’re fixing to get juicy since we’re actually starting this thing!
So, here’s something that’s on my mind:
On December 14, 2019, I walked across the graduation stage and was presented to the world as Dr. Sabrina Wegner, LMFT, LPC, Ph.D.
Yes,
I’m proud.
I worked hard.
I achieved something that few people in the world ever will.
The culmination of 10.5 years of college.
But let me tell you, it’s kind of hard to balance pride and achievement when you’re a Christian. I can’t come off as bragging about what I’ve achieved. I can’t flash it in everyone’s faces. That’s being prideful, which is a sin. But I also have a reason to be proud. I don’t know how to balance that. I’m trying to figure it out.
When I went to training camp, I purposefully didn’t bring up the fact that I was about to become a doctor. It’s normal for people my age to be graduating college. Nobody questions it. That’s true in my everyday life too. I could meet people and tell them I was in college and majoring in marriage and family therapy. Nobody assumed it was anything more than a bachelor’s degree. At training camp, it finally did come out toward the end. I don’t think anyone there really understood what it means to me or the work that went into it.
But I also recognize that when friends introduce me to others, the first thing they say is “This is Sabrina, she’s getting a doctorate.” Clearly, it’s part of my identity. It’s part of who I am to my friends. They’re proud of me.
I want the first thing people see about me to be my love for Christ. I want to be Jesus to people. And I know being like Jesus means not denying the blessings God has poured out into. I’m a doctor now because of God’s strength manifested in my life.
How do I show that? How do I share that? While making sure that pride never ever gets in the way?
I guess I’ll figure it out as I go. And I think I have to accept the fact that sometimes others will perceive pride and intentions that aren’t there. It cannot be my responsibility to safeguard someone else’s feelings. My obligation is to honor God and seek to overcome the temptations of pride that are common to man.
I do know one thing: I can’t do it alone. God always has to be in the process. And I know He’ll put people in my life to help me along the way because He created us for growth in community. As it was once said in Genesis, it is not good for man to be alone.
He’ll do the same for you. Whatever your sins, whatever the challenges you’re trying to figure out, lean into God because you can’t do it alone. Keeping that in mind will help all of us stave off sinful pride and discern the pride that honors God.
