Just two weeks after Keaton Welch spoke at chapel, senior Linda Zhang followed up with a complementary message. While Keaton talked about the need for Jesus to humble our abhorrent pride, Linda’s testimony focused more on seeing God’s marvelous mercy when dealing with it.
Linda spoke about her struggles with school before coming to Jesus and how, even in those times of hardship, Jesus humbly showed Himself to her and led her to a new, and far better, chapter in her life. Now, she no longer has to strive for success. She just chooses daily to humbly embrace her identity as a servant of God.
Students listened closely, and afterward many said that they were affected by Linda’s eloquent testimony. We could say more, but Linda herself said it best:
God is a merciful God.
He brought me all the way from Kunming, China, to Judah Christian School so that He could teach me how to humble myself. I’m learning what being “humble” really means at this high school.
As a traditional Chinese student raised in a traditional Chinese family, I had learned that being “humble” is a standardized test. People who can afford to be humble are those who have made great achievements and gained great status in their lives.
My dad was the role model I always looked up to. He is a great doctor, as nearly everyone who knows him says. One thing I learned at a very young age from my dad’s sparkling reputation is that success brings respect, respect brings status, and status lets people be humble.
My dad always told me, “Work hard in silence, and let your achievements be the noise.” I put this in my heart and tried my best to follow this principle.
I spent ten years of my life trying to live up to the standard that my family gave me. Because of my excellent grades, teachers often used me as a positive example of working hard to “encourage” other students. I enjoyed it when teachers announced my score loudly in front of the class as the highest score. I enjoyed it when the school chose me to give a speech during a special ceremony as the “model student” of the school.
Every time I got an honor reward, I “humbly” stayed silent because I knew my “achievement” was the loudest noise I could ever make. I was immersed in a sea of attention and compliments, thinking that this was what my life was going to be.
Pride is a special drug. It can’t kill you, but when you don’t get your dose, the pain will quickly wrack you.
In the summer before my eighth-grade year, I decided not to go to school because I didn’t finish my summer homework, which was a mountain of papers and a valley of practice questions. This may sound ridiculous, but in Chinese public schools, not finishing summer homework is a sign that a “good” student is beginning to fail.
I couldn’t imagine how embarrassing it would be for me — the “model student” — to stand in front of the whole class and answer why I did not finish my homework. If ever there was a time that perfectly captured the meaning of “my world has fallen,” it was that time for me.
Not finishing my summer homework didn’t just mean that I was no longer a “good” student. It also meant that ten years of trying to reach the heights demanded by my family had gone up in smoke.
I couldn’t face the disappointment of my family, the regret of my teachers, and the doubt of my classmates. The pride I had won for myself was completely shattered. Not until that moment did I realize that what I always held as a treasure was so vulnerable. Self-accusation and low self-esteem swamped me; everything around me suffocated me.
I hid in my room and refused to make any change for two years. My parents could barely communicate with me. Every single word they spoke sparked a fight.
It was at that time that Jesus came into my life.
His story completely changed my view of humbleness. The humility that Jesus showed us is completely different from what Chinese culture had taught me about humility. From the beginning, Jesus came to serve, not to achieve. He didn’t wait till He had victory to “humbly” and “modestly” point to someone else; He pointed to the Father from the start.
In John 6:38, Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul told us that Jesus didn’t just humble Himself in His words; He “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
As the God from high above, Jesus put down all status and position and came to a world that is full of sin, hatred, and darkness. He became a human being to serve us. He didn’t stay at the highest place and show His humility by saying, “I did nothing significant.” Jesus came to the lower place and laid down His life for those who rejected Him. Jesus humbled Himself so that He can lift us up to where we can be with God.
It is absolutely a miracle that I could come to the United States and attend a Christian high school — Judah Christian School. Here, I have found out so many things that are new to me. The culture and language differences forced me to stop competing with others. Here in America I often don’t know anything. When that happens, the only thing I can do is appreciate others. I can say, “Wow, you’re so good at this!”
Turning my focus from self-achievement to other people’s shining points helps me to stay out of the rat race of competition and simply enjoy the people God has brought into my life.
I found out that here at Judah, people don’t focus so much on grades. It doesn’t matter how good or bad I scored on my test. I can say openly that “I did not do very well on this test.” People don’t mock me or express false regrets. Here, when I let go of my pride and become vulnerable, I receive true sympathy and encouragement. Grades don’t determine who I am. At Judah, I’m not fighting for my identity; I’m learning my identity in God.
I have also found out that achievements are not always personal. Greater joy comes when people as a group accomplish something. After joining the Newsroom, I realized that one piece of diamond may shine pretty, but several diamonds will shine magnificently.
In Newsroom, everything I do is not about myself alone; it is about the goal that people have built together as a group. The meaning of my work is not honoring myself. I work hard because I’m part of a work group, and through my hard work others can benefit. Newsroom taught me that bringing blessings to others is more meaningful than gaining blessings for myself.
I have found out that being in a lower position is not shameful. As one who speaks English as a second language, I often fall short on words during my daily conversations. Sometimes, I even use wrong words or phrase wrong sentences to express myself.
Here at Judah, people don’t judge me by my mistakes. They aren’t standing on a higher place and laughing at me as a person who has disadvantages with language.
Through interacting with the Judah community, I started to understand what it looks like in Romans 12:16. As it says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
When I look back at those “dark” times I had, when I look back at the suffering and helplessness in my heart and the self-destruction in my mind, I realize that God was there. He loves me and sees me as His wonderful creation all the time. I was just blinded by the biases I had to myself.
Looking at all these people at Judah, I realize that true humility is not premised on success but on God. I realize that I was a coward who hid behind vanity and self-satisfaction. All those excellent grades and good works are useless without God.
Trying to be higher than others so that I could somehow feel humble in my success didn’t bring me any feeling of humility.
Jesus is the only way to humility.
In 1 Peter 5:6, the apostle Peter said, “Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.” I don’t have to fight to be humble. True humility comes from God, not from what I have done.
Romans 12:3 says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Being humble doesn’t mean lowering my self-worth. Being humble is setting my self-worth on God’s worth and the worth of serving in His kingdom.
Paul also told us in Romans 12:10-11 to “be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” True humility is understanding the reason why we work. We shouldn’t work to honor ourselves. We serve the Lord, and we serve others, and so we glorify Him as the highest king.
Now, when I’m standing here and giving this speech, I know that I’m not here speaking for myself; I’m here because what God has done in my life should not be hidden.
I thank God for bringing me here to Judah Christian School. He did not just bring me to another country and another school. God brought me into the new life He had already planned for me at the beginning.
From being the model student at the top of her class in China to skipping school and constantly fighting with her parents, Linda’s world was flipped upside down. Yet, in the midst of her hardship, she met Jesus and was able to throw away her pride and follow Him. Jesus showed Linda what it means to serve others instead of herself. He showed Linda what it means to have true humility. Six years later, and nearly 8,000 miles from home, Linda is enjoying student life here at Judah Christian School and happily serving and growing closer to Jesus.
—Zach Schaefer, class of ’25
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