Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
How many of you remember the name Copernicus? No, he’s not a guy we met at the golf course or at a conference we attended. Copernicus made an earth-shattering announcement in 1543 that changed our lives forever. Do you know what it was? He announced that our earth was not the center of the universe.
You see, up until that time people thought the whole universe revolved around the earth–we were the center of it all. That big old fiery ball we call the sun woke up every day to circle the earth and all those stars and planets existed to move around us. The problem–it just wasn’t so. Copernicus made the announcement and upset the apple cart. His words were not well received in fact they got him into BIG trouble. Trouble or not, it didn’t change the truth.
I still remember the time when I traveled to Africa for the first time. I was surprised that virtually no one spoke English and when I went into a shop to get a cup of coffee and they didn’t know what a dollar was—I was flabbergasted. Not speak English. Not recognize an America dollar. It was just about then that I started to realize that the world does not revolve around me or us for that matter.
The latest wakeup call came during the COVID mess. I watched as slowly but surely a “me mentality” seized our culture, our communities, our churches and yup, me. What I wanted became more important that what you wanted. In a culture outside of God that kind of is the way it works. But in God’s economy and culture…uh, it doesn’t. Jesus made a big deal of it being about others. And somehow, at some way, we dropped the ball. Fumbled. Threw an interception.
As I stood around observing this phenomenon, and my participation in it, God began speaking to me. At first it was a whisper, but I do believe He is speaking a bit louder these days. In fact, and if you don’t mind me saying so, I believe shouting would be a better label. The message seems to be, “Hey this isn’t about you, or Joe or Doug or Ryan or Betty, well, you get the picture. You see our culture tells us (or is it shouting too?) that it is about us—our way, our priorities, our rights—our everything. You know, “have it your way” –“you deserve a break today” and that mentality has shifted right smack dab into the Christian community. Somewhere, somehow, we have begun to believe the lie that all that matters is–me. It may work for the world, but it doesn’t work, or shouldn’t work, for Jesus’ followers, at least not in God’s eyes. Do you want to know why most churches are struggling to get people to come? It’s because we have become consumer driven instead of “others” driven. We are leaning toward being country clubs instead of hospitals. It is because we believe it is about us.
Paul, the guy who wrote more than half of the Bible’s New Testament said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” Wow. In other words, the center of the universe is not me, not the earth but the God who created it all. And what matters to Him needs to matter to us. What is that you say? Others–not me but them–the ones who have never received and, to a large extent in other places in the world, never even heard of Jesus. We are supposed to be Gospel lighthouses or Gospel GPS’s pointing people to Him. If there has ever been a time when our world needs some Good News it is now.
Sometimes people say they’ve heard from God, and you give them a quizzical look like, “Sure.” I reckon folks gave Copernicus that same quizzical look, but it didn’t change the facts. It’s amazing to think that even though it was really about Jesus He never promoted it that way. He acted as if it wasn’t. He washed feet, touched people who were untouchable and oh, He died on a criminal’s cross. How about that? Maybe it is time we take down the “Me Flag” and just love God and love people. It is the most Jesus’ thing we can do. Does that sound a little overwhelming? I know what you mean, but you know what He says, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 