Rick Perry to Conservatives: Be Humble, Courageous Like Jesus and Disciples
To convince others of your ideas, Texas Governor Rick Perry told fellow conservatives on Saturday, you must be both humble and courageous.
"I've learned a little bit about humility, particularly on national television," Perry said to laughter from the audience at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority 2013" conference.
When Perry ran for president in the last election he was leading by some polls when several stumbles in national debates took him out of the race.
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"But the fact is that God hasn't called the perfect to go into the arena of public service," Perry continued. "He's called people just like you and just like me."
Perry spoke about his own Christian faith and how God taught him to abandon his own selfish pride.
"Nothing less than the example of our savior inspires me as I speak to you today," Perry said. He then read Philippians 2:5-8, in which Paul says that Christ set an example for his followers by humbling himself and became "obedient unto death, even death upon a cross."
Perry also spoke about the example of Jesus' disciple Peter, whom he called his favorite disciple. He described Peter as one "whose mouth sometimes ran faster than his brain."
"Let me tell you, I can relate to Peter," Perry joked.
While Peter learned to be humble, Perry explained, that did not stop him from speaking forcefully. He learned to be courageous as well.
"Be a man or woman of humility, but be courageous, you stand by your principles," Perry advised.
Perry described some of the things he accomplished as governor of Texas by standing by his principles. He mentioned removing state funding for Planned Parenthood, a parental consent law for minors to be able to have an abortion, and a law that allows schoolchildren to wish each other a "merry Christmas or happy Hanukah, or whatever that might be."
Perry also advised his audience to be "happy warriors," and used the example of Ronald Reagan.
"I fear with [Reagan's] passing," Perry said, "we forgot that conversations should come with a smile. Love and joy ought to be our code. Our conviction and our passion should lead to compassion, not contempt or anger or fear mongering."
