It's NOT about Us!

Life can get real frustrating when you have 4 children. They think the world is all about them. Everything we buy should be for them, everything we talk about should include them. When it doesn't you would think the world is about to come to an end. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I would do almost anything for them, but there are times when I just want to have a conversation with my wife ALONE. So to do that we might go into a room and close the door. When those times occur, as rare as they may be, we had better talk fast because it won't be long until the kids realize that something is happening that doesn't include them. KNOCK, KNOCK "Mom, Dad are you in there? What are you talking about? Can we come in?" How frustrating!

The interesting thing about being a parent is that I have learned a multitude of spiritual lessons from watching the frustrating behavior of my children. You know the truth is we all treat God, our Heavenly Father, the same way. Everything God does must be about ME (US). We feel that "I" must be the very center of God's world. When we go to church our mentality is "What is God gonna give ME?" "What can I get out of this service?" "What can God do for ME?" We are very selfish when it comes to our relationship with God. In many ways our relationship with God is all about ME!

On my desk I have taped up a sign. It says "It is NOT about us. It is ALL about HIM!" On that sign there are 2 Scripture references: Galatians 2:20 and John 15:1-5. Let me just share those Scriptures with you. Paul wrote to the Church at Galatia in Galatians 2 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." NKJV

The Apostle John wrote in his gospel chapter 15 "I am the vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." NKJV

What powerful truth! Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ..." I don't believe we really know what it means to be crucified. Do you know what it means? It doesn't mean just set aside, it means something is killed. In this case that something is me. In a very real sense when I came to Christ, I died. The "old" me that Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 5 has died and now it is not me who is doing the living but Christ who is IN me. So the life I live everyday is (or at least should be) ALL about HIM, because it is (or at least should be) Him who is doing the living.

The Apostle John also makes a powerful statement in John 15:5 he says that I can't do anything without HIM (Jesus).

So the way I see it is that my life is not about me, the glory I may receive or even the blessings I may receive. It is ALL about HIM! The glory HE receives, the Blessing of His name. When I sit and think about that it challenges me to live my life differently because it is not just ME that my choices affect, but HIS glorious name.

Think about how you live today. Who are you living for? You or HIM?


Pastor Chad