Fred Smith was a longtime member of the board of Christianity Today International and a contributing editor to Leadership journal. He died August 17, 2007, just days before his 92nd birthday. His writing, characterized by clarity and practicality, appeared in numerous articles and downloads on BuildingChurchLeaders.com. Below is a reflection that Smith penned in 1984.

So often in our Christian life we misinterpret humility. I have had a growing appreciation of objective evaluation since doing about 40 television shows with professional athletes who have a quiet evaluation of their own superiority. Listen on Sunday afternoon to the golfer who wins the tournament—he neither berates himself nor runs around slapping himself on the back. He simply admits he was hitting his putts firmly, getting his irons up to the pin, and keeping his drive in play. The church needs to develop this type of objective humility.

The best definition of humility I've ever heard is this: "Humility is not denying ...