Articles
It’s Not About Me
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We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (Rom. 15:1)
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil. 2:3-4)
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Why did Jesus come to this earth?
The reflexive answer is, to save us from our sins. That's true, but why did that mission require a life of hardship and deprivation? He was the Son of God, with all the universe at His command; why did He have to come as a nobody?
In the person of Jesus, deity stepped out of glory and into the gutter. God literally put Himself in our shoes. He experienced life as we experience it, with all the thorns and bruises that are common to humanity. Jesus endured pain; He grew tired; He felt the sting of rejection and the allure of temptation. He knew what it was like to face the terror of death, scared and alone.
Yet in the midst of all that sacrifice, He used His extraordinary power to heal the sick, comfort the weak, feed the hungry, befriend the sinner, and counsel the lost. His life, humble as it was, was spent helping others, not Himself. He came down to us in order to lift us up.
The story of Jesus Christ clarifies our own purpose in life. Until we grasp the magnitude of the sacrifice Jesus made, we cannot participate in His salvation. Just as "the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve" (Matt. 20:28), so we must dedicate our life to serving others rather than ourselves.
That's why the most difficult adjustment we must make in coming to the Lord is to see others as more important than ourselves. Like Jesus, we must sacrifice our lives to serve others.
Sadly, we're slow to learn that truth. Marriages break up because one or both parties are more concerned about satisfying their own desires. Clashes with neighbors, co-workers, and friends are rooted in differences of opinions, with MY opinion being the most important, naturally. Churches blow up because members are convinced they have the better idea on how things ought to be done. We cling to our pride, and the devil takes the hindmost.
The life of Jesus screams in our face the most important life lesson of all: It's not about me. Until that creed consumes our hearts, we have no clue what Christianity is about.
--David
