Minnesota Maturity Test (MMT)

7/25/2016

Twenty years back I found myself in a crowded room of Saints and one particular gentleman, previously unfamiliar to me, found himself in a challenging situation.

This relatively young man had said something or offered some idea, and others in the room had graciously pointed out to him that his idea was seriously flawed and inappropriate, whatever it was.

The awkwardness in the room was palpable. And yet the young man was quite poised and gracious in response—readily admitting the likelihood of his failure, and clearly agreeable to being “adjusted.”

Later that evening I complimented him on his humility and asked him how a seemingly confident and strong-willed person like himself could be so graciously receptive to correction. We both smiled and he confirmed my assessment of his general wiring.

His answer has always stuck with me.

He said, “Someone told me a few years back that a person who knows Jesus well will learn to separate what they do and what they think… from who they are.”

—mhp