Life-spark: Being humble is being more alive. (John 1:24-38)
Ten years ago God taught me how to get free from myself. He revealed to me that I was living a self-centered and self-absorbed life. For two years, I said these four words at least once every day: “It’s not about me.”
At first glance, that statement appears to be self-restricting, but it wasn’t such for me. This new viewpoint progressively freed me to focus on God and on others, knowing that God loved me and would take care of me. It changed me. Upon encountering people, I began to think, “There you are!” instead of “Here I am!” I still need periodic re-sets, but my whole view of life has pretty changed, and I’m more alive.
John the Baptist turned the spotlight off of himself and onto Jesus: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NIV) And it wasn’t just a one-time thing for John: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’” (John 1:35-36, NIV)
John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God” knowing that He was the innocent one who would die for the guilty. He would give His life to absorb our death penalty.
John is a great model for me. He understood it wasn’t about him. He reminds me of the little girl who had a birthday party and invited her friends. One of her friends gave her a box of chocolate candy. The birthday girl opened the box and gave a chocolate to every friend. Then she closed the box and put it away. When her mom pointed out to her that she hadn’t take a chocolate for herself, she blushed and whispered, “Oh, I forgot I was here.”
The greatest life I can live is a life that puts others first and points others to Christ. An others-oriented life is not a sad life, it’s a joyful life. That’s how you spell joy – Jesus … Others … You.
Life-challenge: Do this two times today: Enter a room with people in it, smile and think, “Here you are!”