1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."
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.
You know me… I was watching a reality TV show… “Celebrity Apprentice”… and one of the “celebrities” was arguing her point before Donald Trump. As a fellow contestant passionately interjected, “Every sentence out of her mouth begins with ‘I’.” She is not a team player in the least. In fact, there are quite a few contestants on this season of “Celebrity Apprentice” who begin their sentences with “I” and want to take control – and credit – for everything their team accomplishes. The strange thing is that these “celebrities” are playing to earn money for charities throughout the world. And they will say, “This is for my charity” or “I’m fighting for my charity.” What they say and how they behave make two entirely different statements.
As Christians, we are “playing for a cause,” too… furthering God’s kingdom. Or at least, we are supposed to be working on God’s behalf. In truth, many “Christians” are doing little more than tooting their own horn… saying to the world, “Look at me! Look at me! I’m so wonderful! I’m so smart and talented! Don’t you love how I sing, speak or play an instrument – or perform on the field or the court (for God, of course!)? Didn’t you like what I had to say? Aren’t you impressed with how hard I work and all the things I’ve bought and how much of my earnings I’ve given away to the needy? Do you see all of the wonderful things I do for so many?”
Some of us act as if people are blessed merely to be in our presence! But nothing could be further from the truth! God doesn’t want “horn tooters.” He would rather use the humble homeless bum than the “Celebrity Apprentice” with an attitude. Where do you fit into this group? Are you one of God’s “nobodies” – and proud of it? Or are you constantly trying to be a “somebody”… to be recognized for your service and devotion and what a “good Christian” you are?
God is calling us to be HIS “nobodies” and humble ourselves before Him. We must recognize that He has made us who and what we are – we did not get here on our own merits. By the blood of Jesus, we are saved… and by God’s grace, we live another day to share the Good News with those in our path. It is by God’s hand that we “nobodies” become “somebodies”… and He alone deserves the recognition. Where does this leave you today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment