Why Is It Not All About Me?

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

Today’s big question: why is it not all about me?

Sometimes as I talk with people they may make a selfish remark or realize they have been the central topic of conversation. In jest they ask, “Isn’t it all about me?” Maybe you have heard that type of comment as well. It is often quite funny and we have a good laugh, yet our human nature is truly like this. Deep down we have this evil desire that says, “It’s all about me.”

In the third beatitude Jesus dealt beautifully with this innate self-centered desire. By encouraging meekness, He spoke against our desire to have all things for ourselves, which leads to destruction, but the meek shall inherit the earth.

Contrary to what many people think, meekness does not mean weakness. Instead, it refers to remaining self-controlled and gentle, even when persecuted. As Christians, we are to model the behavior of Jesus, “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:23). Meekness is the opposite of our desire to defend ourselves and retaliate.

This teaching from Jesus is directly opposed to worldly thinking. The world tells us that we can do anything, be anything, determine our own destiny, and be successful, rich, happy, and popular. I have even heard Christian speakers try to apply these worldly philosophies to the gospel of Jesus. Yet Jesus taught the very opposite. We must put away our sinful self–centeredness, die to self, and rise with Christ.

How can we know brokenness in sin, poverty of spirit, and mourning for sin if all we see is our own perceived greatness? How can we know salvation from the judgment of this world if all we long for is in this world? When we see ourselves in the light of Christ’s glory and see our sin for the filth that it is, we should be willing to deny ourselves and trust in Jesus Christ so that we can be saved. Salvation is not simply being saved from eternal punishment. We are also saved into an inheritance with the Lord and are joint heirs with Christ.

While the Lord will always be the only true King, we can look forward to a shared glory with Him forever. If we place ourselves as king now, we will never know this glory.

Today’s big idea: only by denying self and daily taking up the Cross of Christ can we know true glory.

What to pray: ask God to help you to decrease so that He might increase.