September 9 ~ John 3:27-30
John answered, “It’s not possible
for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without
heaven’s help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I
was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things
ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And
the bridegroom’s friend, his ‘best man’—that’s me—in place at his side
where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be
jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is
off to a good start?
“That’s why my cup is running over. This is
the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to
the sidelines.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
During the Sunday
school lesson last week for second and third graders, I mentioned my
brother Tim, who died almost 18 years ago. It was like a light bulb
went on in Timothy’s head, and he said, “OH! So Uncle Tim was named for
ME?” I smiled and explained that it was the other way around…that
Uncle Tim was here first. This was logical thinking for a
seven-year-old. Little children tend to believe that the world revolves
around them. And I will have to say that most of the time, Timothy is
unusually empathetic for his age. Still…every child has his/her moments.
You
and I are no longer children. We cannot afford the “luxury” of selfish
thinking…much less the assumption that “we’ve got this” by ourselves.
There is no way that we can navigate “life” on our own for even the
shortest amount of time. And if you believe differently, you are in for
some pretty big heartaches and disappointments.
A friend shared a
post on Facebook that started off, “Imagine getting to heaven and
hearing God say”…and then “God” described how thought of us before we
were born…laid out plans for us and prepared the way. “God” noted how He
gave us time to accomplish these goals and supplied us with the Holy
Spirit to guide and protect us…and provided us with missions and
opportunities to fulfill them. And then it ends with “Let’s talk about
how that all went.”
Too many of us want to have Jesus and the
Holy Spirit in our hip pocket…but we still want the spotlight. We want
it to be all about us…about our needs and desires. We spend our lives
asking, “Is it fun? Will I enjoy this? Will it make me happy? What
about ME?” And the truth is…it’s not about us at all. There’s an old
hymn – “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” - that says, “Thou are the potter, I
am the clay.” Jesus is the bridegroom…you and I are just the
“bridesmaids and groomsmen.” Our job is to support Him…to fulfill His
plans and missions…to step aside and bask in the rays of His limelight.
A
little self-absorption is cute when you are a child…but it is in no way
an attractive quality in adults…especially people who are supposed to
represent Jesus. Humility, servitude, and the desire to keep Christ
front and center are hallmarks of a faithful Christian disciple. It may
never be “your turn” or “about you”…and that’s okay. When Jesus is
given top priority, all other things fall into place as He designed.
THIS is what truly matters!
When God has the talk with you
about “how things went,” what will you have to say for yourself? Have
you stepped aside and given Jesus the spotlight? Or are you still
fighting to get off the sidelines and take center stage? How you answer
makes all the difference…both now and for all eternity. Where are you standing today?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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