Chasing Humility: 8 Ways to Shape a Christian Heart

Joel Stepanek grew up believing that humility required shunning success, never accepting praise, and embracing a crummy life so that God would reward him in heaven. Then he became successful—at being a missionary. On a quest to find balance, Stepanek discovered powerful wisdom hidden within a nineteenth-century prayer that radically changed his life: the Litany of Humility. He shows you what he has learned about true Christian humility and how to right-size your expectations for living this crucial virtue.

As Stepanek, director of resource development at Life Teen, began to study and pray with the Litany of Humility, he discovered a pattern for spiritual growth that now anchors the way he lives. In Chasing Humility, he helps you explore eight essential aspects of humility in the life of a Christian: authenticity, confidence, gratitude, love, praise, empowerment, mentoring, and breaking barriers.

In addition to humorous and engaging stories and theological reflections, each chapter gives you practical exercises for spiritual growth such as:

• creating an authenticity diagram to explore how you see yourself, how you think God sees you, and how you believe others do;
• learning to keep a gratitude journal; and
• developing habits of speech that acknowledge and praise others for successes, rather than remaining focused on your own accomplishments.

This book will not only help you to understand and embrace the importance of humility, but teach you to love the virtue as well.

Joel Stepanek is chief mission officer for the National Eucharist Congress. He has more than fifteen years of experience in ministry and previously served as vice president of parish services at Life Teen International. Stepanek speaks internationally to groups of all sizes, ages, and vocations, and is the author or coauthor of a number of books, including Beginning Well, Chasing Humility, True North, The Greatest Job on Earth, and The 99.

Stepanek earned a master’s degree in religious education with an emphasis in youth and young adult ministry from Fordham University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Colorado State University. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

He and his wife, Colleen, live in Gilbert, Arizona, with their children.