Scripture: John 5:43 – “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.” (NRSVue)
We are often impressed by a success story. Rags to riches. Local boy makes good. We idolize those who are able through their own ingenuity and hard work to become famous, wealthy, and/or powerful. While there is certainly luck involved, we tend to see it all as coming from something special within them, something that we should emulate.
A lot of self-help gurus and hustle-culture motivational speakers will attribute their success to their systems and claim that others can do the same thing – although results may vary. There seem to be a lot of promises, but not a lot of success. There is enough for testimonials, but not enough to see real differences in people’s lives.
All these people inspire us to lives of success in body and bank account, but it is all ultimately about them. They encourage us to make it all about ourselves as well. There is a lack of humility, but we seem to like it that way. We don’t want to be humble; we want to be great!
When someone comes along and claims something different, who wants to demonstrate love and righteousness without describing how great their hard work has been, we tend to ignore them. Jesus was just such a person. While he demonstrated power and healing, he never wanted it to be about him. All his glory came from God, and he ran from people who wanted to make him king. And he was frustrated that despite the actual lives he was saving, most people preferred a braggart who wanted to be king than a servant of the Lord.
Today, think about someone you idolize. It may be a social media influencer, an author, a celebrity, a CEO, a politician. Listen to what they are saying. Are they calling you to be like them? Do they make you want to be powerful and successful? Or are they inviting you to change your life for the sake of others? We need more people who are working to make their communities look good rather than themselves. We need holy people who put God and the good of others before their own glory. These people might not get the recognition they deserve when it is the braggarts and the hucksters who get all the attention. Take the time to seek these people out. Even better, try to be this person yourself and invite someone to work with you, not like you.
Prayer: Jesus, let us be like you, humble and hard-working, and help us to put your glory before our own. Amen.
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