Not Me!

September 7, 2023

Not Me!

A focus on me can happen so quickly.  I don’t have to give me too much attention or even energy and suddenly I have put myself at the center of almost everything. 

Maybe it’s a personality thing.  Maybe it’s because I was hurt sometime.  Maybe it’s because I have some unmet need.  Maybe it’s just the way people are.  It is easy to put the focus on me.

When I was a young boy, my brothers and I would play in the basement.  We would get out all of our small “Matchbox” cars, create roads and buildings, and make race tracks.  We would play for hours at a time.  But, I noticed that I always wanted the fastest car so I could win our races.  Even something as innocent and fun as playing with my brothers could quickly become an opportunity to put “me” first.

A focus on me happens when we are adults, too.  For example; I get hurt but am unwilling to forgive until the other person says, “I am sorry!” first.  Forgiveness becomes something that is about “me” rather than about “us.”

A focus on me happens in families, with friends, and at work.  A focus on me happens on the team, in the classroom, and even in our small group.  We can do all kinds of things in order to keep the focus on me.  We can… 

+talk over people during a conversation 

+tell everyone why we are better

+focus conversations on the wounds of our past

+do things our way because our way is the best way

+brag about the glory of our achievements

+fail to recognize the feelings of others

+diminish the perspective and experience of others

+develop a sense of entitlement in which the rules only apply to others

+disregard feedback and accountability from other people

Conversations with people who are focused on themselves can be a bit complicated and confusing.  If someone is arrogant or rude or irritating it is easy to see their self-centeredness.    

However, there are times when a person who is focused on themselves appear nice; they seem kind, thoughtful, and maybe even generous.  And yet, we often walk away from both types of conversations feeling depleted and empty rather than filled and energized.

I imagine there was a little too much focus on “me” in the church located in first century Corinth.  The church was quarrelling over who was the better preacher, who should receive Communion first, who was the most spiritual along with several other really “important” things.  Most of the disagreements were focused on personal preferences; i.e., about me!    

The Apostle Paul addresses the self-centeredness of these Christ-followers in a letter.  In II Corinthians 4:5 he writes; “For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.”  Paul says we do not proclaim and celebrate and focus on ourselves.  Instead, we proclaim and celebrate and focus on Jesus as Lord.

In one way or another, my focus on “me” puts me in the place of most importance.  The Bible reminds me that I am not the most important person in the universe.  To the contrary, Jesus is the most important One.  Another way to express this truth is to affirm that Jesus is Lord of all of life and Lord of my life.

When I ask Jesus to be Lord of my life, the “me” in me must take a lower place. 

No longer are my achievements or my pain or my opinion the most important thing; Jesus is Lord! 

No longer are my wounds or my experience or my role the most important thing; Jesus is Lord! 

No longer are my rules or my way or my success the most important thing; Jesus is Lord!

On August 20, the pastor at the church my wife and I are attending said something important in the message.  The pastor said; “Every day I have to decide if I am going to love Jesus!”  I agree! 

Every day I have to decide if it is going to be “me” first or Jesus first.  Every morning I have to decide if I am going to be in God’s place or if Jesus is going to be God.  Before I get out of bed I have to decide if I am going to promote “me” or proclaim Jesus. 

Imagine the other options; I can decide to love me, I can decide to trust me, I can decide to serve me.  Instead, Paul says; “…we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.”  Paul considered himself a slave to the people he was serving in Corinth.  At the same time, Paul devoted himself to proclaiming Jesus as Lord rather than himself as the best missionary. 

The growth and health and faith of the church was not because of Paul’s great speech, effective work, or convincing evangelism.  The church in Corinth was growing because Paul proclaimed Jesus as Lord…first! 

It’s not about you or me!

The more we proclaim Jesus as Lord and ourselves as servants of Jesus, the more room there is for the Holy Spirit to grow us and change the world around us.  When that happens, we will be filled with delight in the Lord’s greatness and glory.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug