Glory to God, not to me

 

Our family has a big event coming up in a few weeks. It began when God suggested to me through a distant relative’s eager desire that we should have a family reunion. I argued with Him. Knowing the work involved and my inability to organize such an event, I simply did not want to do it. However, He persisted, even waking me up several times very early in the morning with a to-do list of ideas. One of them was to enlist a few helpers.

The plans came together and invites were drafted and sent to everyone that had emails — which took some scrounging. Now, we have a venue near the farms where my parents and Dad’s siblings all grew up, a caterer, music volunteered by family members, and many other perks, plus nearly 100 who said they are coming. I am overwhelmed and excited, but also nervous about the doing of it.

I have imagined people thanking me for all my ‘hard work’ to make this happen and have even patted myself on the back a few times. But how dare I to forget this was God’s idea and the work of His Holy Spirit to guide me and remind me? Today’s reading is a warning again about making ME the center of my life. This Scripture speaks to my heart about the attitude God wants me to have, now, and at this big event, and always…

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:8–11)

It is not a wedding feast yet I was invited to make it happen by the Lord who loves bringing families together. He cares that we see one another and enjoy time talking and sharing our lives. He planned this event and He gave much needed energy and ideas to bring it this far. God needs to be “moved up higher” and I need to take the lowest place and consider how to honor and bless others, as well as giving glory to God. The glory of such a gathering is not mine.

PRAY: Jesus, thank You for reminding me that all of what has happened, is happening, and will happen is because of You. Your hand is in the plan and the working out of that plan. I’ve been amazed at the ideas and help of others. One person even said if someone could not come because of financial needs, he would pay their way. This is a God-thing. Not all of this family knows and lives for You yet those who believe in You have pitched in with enthusiasm. I’m trusting You to bring us together with whatever purpose You have in mind. Certainly You will bless us in surprising ways as You already do, and it is my hope that some will realize Your grace and power and their lives will be transformed. Forgive me for letting the desires of ME to sneak into this. Keep my focus where it should be… loving them because of Your love, and blessing them because I’ve been blessed.

Humbling yourself

May 13, 2012 (no computer, posted May 14)

A prominent leader in a church we once attended always sat in the back row for meetings and any church activities. Once I asked him why he did that. He said that it was in obedience to the Lord’s command to take the lowest place.

When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 14:8–11)

This weekend, we drove four hours south to join family in celebrating my sister’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. She and her husband have lived in the same community for most of their married lives. She owned a store there for more than half of that time. She is also a well-known artist. Many friends came to wish them well. As her sister, I felt good being able to sit with her.

When I read these verses, I thought of the many times that I’ve had opportunity to sit with prominent people. Sometimes it was not my choice; they came and sat with me, but the idea of humbling myself to take the lowest place is not my usual choice. 

The other conviction for the weekend was sitting in my sister’s Bible class on Sunday morning. She is teaching material that I wrote! As we discussed the topic for the day, I realized once again that it is easy to write questions and give admonition to live in a godly way. It is much more difficult to actually do what I tell others we must do. 

My ‘for instance’ is this whole matter of humbling yourself. I continually wonder how we are supposed to do that and it never occurs to me to take the lowest place. Whenever I’ve opportunity to sit in a place of honor, I will take it. Oh my, I have so much to learn.

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Jesus, You were willing to take the lowest place that I might be forgiven and live forever. Yet I don’t even think of doing that, showing me that I am far from being like You. Forgive my pride. Remind me that I have a choice when it comes to where I sit and how I place myself alongside others.

True confidence gained by humility

We knew a man who always sat in the last row or took the seat farthest away from the speaker or his host. When I noticed his consistent pattern, I asked him about it. He gave his reason from the words of Jesus.

When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 14:8–11)

The Bible often says to “humble yourself” and I’ve often wondered exactly how does a person do that? The man we knew did something very simple. Although he held at least one PhD, was well-respected in the church and in all human measurements had qualities that should allow him to sit wherever he wanted, he chose the lowest place.

This is in keeping with humbling oneself, yet in a world that tells us the opposite, humility is not a popular characteristic. Too often it is confused with self-abuse of some sort, or self-pity, or poor self-esteem, or at the very least, a lack of self-confidence. However, God says that He is close to those who are humble and contrite of heart. He also says that humility is being like Jesus.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3–8)

God’s ways are not like our ways. In the ultimate act of love, God the Son took the lower place and became a man. Then He took an even lower place by becoming a servant to God and to man. Serving our deepest need required that He die for our sins. He humbled Himself even more, and for Him, the lowest place became a tomb.

The cross and the tomb are an offense to the modern mind, not just because Jesus sets the example of humility, but because it plainly declares God’s evaluation of our sinfulness. Our sin is so serious in the mind of God that He sent His only Son to pay the penalty for it. This is an affront to pride, a slap in the face of all self-confidence and self-exaltation. It puts every human being in the lowest place.

Yet the words of Jesus promise to the humble something more. His words add a call to “move up higher.” So does the passage from Philippians as it adds what happened to Jesus after He took the lowest place.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)

To humble myself does not have to involve something so dramatic as dying. Instead of picking the best view, the nicest looking options, the most comfortable chair, all I need to do is take a back seat and let others be more significant.

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Lord, I selected Philippians 2:3-4 as my verses for this past year. (Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.) There have been some changes, for which I am thankful and attribute to Your grace. Yet I must confess the many times I think of myself first. Continue to remind me that true confidence is not about me. Instead, it is found in being like Jesus.