‘Jesus’ said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Luke 9:48 (ESV)
I have been troubled in my thoughts from yesterday as I battle to understand the simple truth of this statement from Jesus in Luke 9:48. There has seemingly always been within me a rising tide of jealousy, envy, and pride that ebbs and flows over time. Days where I am content with where God has placed me in His great story. Days where I am only concerned with being a faithful, obedient, humble servant to my loving Master. Then there are times when my heart becomes stirred and moved to jealous thoughts. Last night was one of these times that saw me move from a place of contentment and happiness with my calling to one of envy at the apparent “success” and “comfort” of others. The enemy knows that my heart is weak and frail. The enemy knows that I often desire to be more and have more in this life. He uses this to strike easy blows that often rattle me for days. These words of Jesus calm and quiet my heart and soul. These words are a comfort to me. Success is not measured by worldly standards, it is measured only in the accomplished work of Jesus upon the cross.
As I struggled with envious thoughts at how people I know are living and thriving with apparent success and ease, I could only focus on what I had lost and what I didn’t have. There was a quick turn from self-pity to self-righteousness. Then from self-righteousness to anger with God. It is amazing to see how quickly my heart can be set against the things of God. When my flesh rages against me and pulls me to be more like the world, I often follow along. I lose myself in the deceptive view of comfort, ease, and importance. My flesh wants these things. My heart wants these things. I feel the constant tension of pursuing success by the standards of this world.
Yet, Jesus is calling me to a different standard. His standard is not worldly success and attention. No, the greatest among us is the one who receives Jesus. The one who receives Jesus is of a gentle and lowly spirit. The great ones are humble and dependent upon Jesus at every moment.
This is where Jesus led me amid my troubled thoughts. I cried to the Lord for help and he reached out and touched my heart. In my humility, Jesus came to me. He comforted me with gentle words. He reminded me of his faithful servants throughout the pages of Scripture. The lives of God’s faithful encouraged me to be of good cheer. From Joseph to Moses to Jeremiah to Hosea. These faithful men and the hardships they endured in humble service to our God are the examples I needed in that moment. I needed reminding that it is all about Jesus. If I want to be great, I need to be faithfully in love with Jesus alone. Everything around me is a precious gift given by my Lord and Savior to enjoy HIM!