I love fresh 'angles,' on familiar truth.
Don Cousin's provides one: "The aim and the result of faithful, fruitful and fulfilling service is to make God famous."
Don is addressing our tendency toward self-promotion -- not -- God-promotion.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a best-known West Coast landmark. Consisting of over 2,600 five-pointed, terrazzo, and brass stars, the walk of fame stretches for 15 blocks on Hollywood Blvd and 3 blocks on Vine St. And people flock to it, mesmerized by the charisma of noted personalities in the entertainment industry.
But folks are drawn by celebrity in general, fascinated by the aura of human achievement, ego and fame.
Frankly, celebrity obsession leads to self-obsession, as we believe a myth: life is advanced, best, as I advance ‘me, myself and I.’ Thus, our motive, in doing anything – including God-things – is the promotion of self, rather than the Savior.
Translated: rather than making God famous, we secretly strive to make ourselves famous. As A.W. Tozer notes: "...promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common...[it excites] little notice.”
Translated: rather than making God famous, we secretly strive to make ourselves famous. As A.W. Tozer notes: "...promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common...[it excites] little notice.”
At numerous junctures in his ministry, Jesus notes, that folks do God-things in order to do a self-thing; they appear to make God famous, but in reality their motive is to make themselves famous.
To be specific, they 'serve the Lord,' 'promoting' the Lord – but in reality – they're promoting self.
But God is savvy, clear on our motive. ‘I’m not a fool,’ Jesus suggests in Matthew 7. Just saying...
‘Master, Master,’ isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience...I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important…” (Matthew 7:21-23, The Message, emphasis added).
One of the searing verses in scripture is 1 Samuel 16:7 – “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). In other words, God knows our motive, beyond our display, lauding self-sacrifice, not self-serving, intent.
Tim Keller refers to such sacrifice as gospel-humility, a stance in which I do not need to...
“…to connect things with myself…In fact, I stop thinking about myself. [The result:] the freedom…[and] blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings. True gospel humility means an ego that is not puffed up but filled up…” (Tim Keller. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness (Farington, Leyland: 10Publishing, 2012), p. 32)
Think of God more, and self, less. Strive to make God famous -- not 'me, myself and I.' “Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don’t let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true.” (Psalm 139:23-24, CEV).
Benedictine monks become monks in a dramatic ceremony. Entering the Abbey the monk ‘to be’ lays prostrate before hundreds of people. Then, he’s covered by what normally covers a casket: a funeral pall. And the Abbey bell rings, mournfully. And then silence.
Benedictine monks become monks in a dramatic ceremony. Entering the Abbey the monk ‘to be’ lays prostrate before hundreds of people. Then, he’s covered by what normally covers a casket: a funeral pall. And the Abbey bell rings, mournfully. And then silence.
After ‘what seems’ an eternity, the congregation begins to whisper, Colossians 3:3: “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ…” And then: more silence.
But then things change. Why, the congregation begins to sing -- repeatedly -- Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but live and declare the words of the Lord.” “I shall not die – but live and declare -- the words of the Lord.” I shall not die – but live and declare the words of the Lord.”
And with that, the congregation leaps to it’s feet, singing now Ephesians 5:14. “Awake O Sleeper -- and Arise from the Dead – [for] Christ will give you light!”
And with that, the Abbey bell rings, joyously. The funeral pall is lifted. The prostate brother rises to his feet. And the robe of the Benedictine order is wrapped around his shoulders.
And with that, the Abbey bell rings, joyously. The funeral pall is lifted. The prostate brother rises to his feet. And the robe of the Benedictine order is wrapped around his shoulders.
God wants to do the same for us. He wants to wrap the robe around our shoulders. But it begins as we 'die' to self, laying prostrate before the Lord. And then rising -- with joy -- determined -- to make God famous.
No comments:
Post a Comment