Daughters of Promise Devotional
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NOT MORE - NOT LESS
It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. John 1:27
How many more times could John (the Baptist) make his point to the religious leaders? "I am not the Christ." "I am not Elijah." "I am a voice." Today's scripture offers yet another angle. "I am not worthy to untie his sandals." He wanted to be absolutely clear that he was not out to start a new religion nor make a name for himself.
As a child of God, I should never think more highly of myself than God regards me nor more lowly than God regards me. Both are dangerous. I should see myself as God sees me and walk that line.
Arrogance is never a personal sin. If I think too much of myself, it affects others besides me. To be superior, I must make little of them. I will be overbearing, lording my position over those around me. If John thought himself to be a Messiah, he would have disqualified himself to preach the message of repentance because the very concept would have been foreign to him. If I use the Christian platform of leadership in any way to further myself, the message of the Gospel is diminished and distorted. Christ, the humble servant of mankind, can not be portrayed accurately through the mouth, demeanor, and stories of a proud person. John the Baptist was, as is humanly possible this side of heaven, the perfect spokesman.
There is also the danger of falling to the other side and putting on false humility. Instead of being Christ-conscious, I am me-conscious. I rehearse my faults, review my failures, and think of all the reasons I am not fit to be God's spokesman. Painfully shy, I appear to others to be humble but really, I am just indulging in a form of self-hatred. Since I am focused on myself, not on Christ, this is an inside/out form of pride. The Gospel is again distorted because the joy of salvation is missing from my countenance. Unworthiness robes my shoulders and it's still all about me while it can appear, insidiously, to be a holy thing. What kind of disciples will I make? Sad, unworthy ones.
How do I walk the middle line? By making my life all about Christ. I would not think of putting myself on center stage. I am taken with how magnificent Jesus is in all of His glory. I can't sing a song, quote a verse, without oozing passion. Because Jesus is my center of vision, I don't think too highly of myself nor am I self-obsessed over my seeming disqualifications. I am a Gospel believer. How do I regard myself? I'm cherished by grace.
You are the one who cherishes. You are the one who is gracious. When I receive these gifts, in You, I am healed of pride and self-hatred. Amen
Christine Wyrtzen
Daughters of Promise
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Want to see something stirring? Watch this clip from John Piper - addressing the Pro-life issue within our current administration.
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