"Me" people

We are all, to some extent, "me" people. We see through our own eyes, hear with our own ears, think with the only brain we have to access. We have our own opinions, and generally believe that we are right. All of this seems only natural. And we want to serve God in the way that seems good to us, worship in the "church of our choice" and with a church that meets our needs, listening to preaching that we like. That is why there are hundreds of denominations instead of us all just being Christians and doing it His way, as it was in the earliest days of the church.

But there is a benefit in focusing differently. It really isn't about "me." The Bible asks (demands?) a different focus. I like the passage in Hebrews 12:1,2, "...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...." Our focus should be on Him, not on me.

The application of this principle is that when we need to know how we are to live, we can read that in the New Testament. What should the church be like, look like, be organized like; what should the church be doing, be spending money on? It seems that we only need to see what the Lord has given us as a pattern in His Bible.

And this principle carries into our relationship with others. Note Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

The Lord recognizes that we will naturally look out for ourselves. But He asks us to refocus; to be concerned as well for others. And in our relationship to Him, we are to do it His way, not ours.

Thanks for reading! Come back next week.