The Need to Flex
It seems to me that in almost every way we continually fight God. We are rebellious children to the end. No matter how big His presence and blessing, we want to be significant.
We want to be popular, or rich, or influential, or strong, or remembered, or in control, or respected. We want to make a name for ourselves. We want to flex. We just do. And now, living in a world of the social media influencer, the need to self-promote seems to have grown to new heights.
I know many a “Christian” who showed great purpose and enthusiasm in the Gospel, until they came to the point where they actually understood that this is not about them. It's about God and His beauty and kindness in Jesus. And then they were gone.
We all have this in us. The first sin was about the one who is totally dependent on the Creator, seeking independence and the need to flex.
In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, God warned Israel of this. He laid it all out very clearly. I'll paraphrase it here: “Look, you were the fewest, and I have made you a people, and I will bless you unbelievably. You will see me perform miracle after miracle right in front of your eyes. But as you experience my blessing, do not become prideful. Don't flex. It's not you. It's about me.”
And of course, as the blessings poured in, they thought it was about them, and tragedy followed. This pattern is repeated over and over.
God brought an insignificant shepherd boy in from the fields to be the king of Israel, and then David became prideful and fell into great sin.
Maybe you remember Moses, who was saved from death by God in order to lead the Hebrew people out of slavery. When he felt the urge to flex, he lost the privilege of actually entering the Promised Land.
This reminder is meant to help us look to Jesus, because He was humble for us. If you remember the story of Jesus being tempted in Matthew 4, the devil proposed that Jesus leave the plan of suffering for sinners and instead become the greatest earthly power ever. Why go through unspeakable and unjust suffering for people who deserve to die, when you could just skip that part? In other words, if Jesus would just bow the knee to the devil, everything would be better.
Jesus' answer to the devil was interesting, “Only God deserves worship.” In Philippians chapter 2, we're reminded that despite being in the form of God, Jesus did not consider equality with God something He had to retain.
Rather, He emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant and died for us. In His humility, He rescued His children from their pride.
Jesus, you are the One who rescues us even as we continue to struggle. I'm sorry for continually thinking that somehow I deserve Your kindness. Thank You for saving me even though I don't get it right. Please open my eyes to Your saving beauty so that I am overwhelmed by Your grace to me.
Let's end with this thought: While we should recognize how prideful we are and how we each tend toward our own glory, let’s not fixate on the problem. Let’s not fixate on ourselves. Rather, let’s turn our eyes to Jesus and look to him because he’s the one who came to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Song: Jesus Paid it All