Benjamin Franklin was known for having an enormous ego as a young man. Consequently, Franklin made a systematic, lifelong endeavor to curb his excessive pride. He later confessed, “Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”

Franklin recounted a transformative moment of his younger years in a letter written when he was 79. He looked back to the day that he met Reverend Cotton Mather at his library. As they stepped out of the library, Mather called out, “Stoop! Stoop!” 

Franklin didn’t hear or understand Mather’s command and hit his head on a low beam. Not wanting to miss a moment for instruction, Mather said, “You are young, and have the world before you; stoop as you go through it, and you miss many hard thumps.”

It is true. When humility fills our hearts, it keeps our heads from many hard thumps. But the formula for success is in stooping.   

I like the word “stoop.” It’s not a colloquial expression you hear in everyday conversation. You see, this notion of “stooping” was not unique to Cotton Mather, but in fact, Christ himself said, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself (stoop) shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11,12). 

“Stoop,” and its various forms are used thirteen times in our English Bible. The most striking is the humble confession of John the Baptist about Christ, “There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose” (Mark 1:7). 

In this ego-captivated culture, many are called the GOAT or G.O.A.T. – The Greatest of All Time.  In this ego-captivated culture, many are called the GOAT or G.O.A.T. – The Greatest of All Time. High-paid athletes and narcissistic celebrities receive the accolades and applause of the culture as the “greatest of all time” mirage is played out in front of us every day.  

But Jesus, indeed the greatest of all time, quietly taught and exemplified stooping in his ministry. The Son of God stooped a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9).

It is Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But he stooped, and made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6,7). 

It was Christ who stooped before that motley crew of disciples with a clay basin of water and servant’s towel to wash those disciples’ dirty, pungent feet. Thomas would doubt him, Matthew and James would abandon him, Peter would deny him, and Judas would betray him, yet he bowed down to wash their feet (John 13:2-12). 

Benjamin Franklin wrote in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser.” Franklin must have learned from Mather’s caution, and we should do the same. Christ’s example and Cotton Mather’s advice are still accurate today; if you want to avoid many hard thumps, then stoop!