Oh my goodness, it is so easy to miss the boat and get off track. We are to be students, which is what the word disciple is all about, and followers of Jesus. But like the original disciples we often want to tell the Teacher what and how He should teach us. Like them, we can be so hungry for and open to His message one minute and then all about ourselves the next. How often Jesus would speak truth from the love of His heart and the disciples would almost dismiss it as nice but not what mattered. That's a good idea, but what about me Lord?
Check out Mark Mark 10:33-37 for a prime example of this. Jesus tells the disciples how He is going to be killed for us all, that He will brutalized, killed and then rise from the dead. How amazing! What a glorious God we serve that not even death can hold Him and that He would wrap Himself in flesh and suffer for our sake! And the response of the disciples? A couple of them take Him aside and ask Him to glorify them, to allow them prominence by His side when He comes into glory. Is this not the ridiculous truth of our human nature?
Yes Lord, it's good that You be glorified, but glorify me too! Me too Jesus. It's all about us, me and You! Look at me. Look at my progress, my spirituality, my wisdom, my love, my calling, my talent, my ability. No. Let's not fall into that foolishness. Either God is everything or He is nothing. Either it is all for His glory or it's all for our glory. He must increase, and we must decrease. We deny self and lift up, glorify, His love, His power, and His way of life. It's not about us looking good. It's about Jesus looking good. It's not about our effectiveness because He is the one calling the shots and making us effective. It's not about our gifts and ability because it is what He invested in us for His purpose. It's not about our progress because every millimeter of progress comes only by His grace because of His great love for us. You get the idea.
Today, let us, by grace, not dismiss the message and love and glory of God by seeking to add our glory, comfort and desires to it. Let us simply listen and obey and love Him and others to such an extent that we become invisible to ourselves and others. So instead of anything being about us, everything about us simply shows how great our God is. Lord, help me be invisible, so that I and others can see through me to You, and let my transparency draw them to You so they can experience the wonders of Your love. Amen.
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