It's Not About Me

“Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” –1 Corinthians 1:31

Our youngest child celebrated her 26th birthday this week. Of course, I remember the day well! I also remember the day before and the excitement leading up to her birth. Yet for me and most moms, when the child is born none of what happened before matters any more. We turn all our focus on the child. All the celebrating is for the child, and we thank God for her. Moms know, “It’s not about me.”

Think about what actors, musicians, and professional athletes say when they receive an award or win a game. They’re proud of their win and are also usually quick to thank their families, their teammates, and everyone else who helped them reach success. Some of them thank God for the talent that got them there. They don’t brag about themselves; they know, “It’s not just about me.”

We can adopt this same attitude regarding our achievements. Our Lord created each of us and gifted us with a particular set of skills and talents. He has placed people here to journey with us. We feel proud of our achievements, and we thank God for the opportunities, ability, and drive to achieve what we believe He wants us to at each stage of our life. We know we don’t do it on our own. 

We praise God for His gifts, thank Him for everything, and say, “It’s not about me.”

John the Baptist could have said, “It’s not about me.” John’s mission was to direct people to Jesus. He could humbly say he succeeded if all of his followers left him to follow Jesus. 

Jesus could have said, “It’s not about me.” Everything Christ did, He did to bring us closer to the Father. He praised the Father and thanked Him for hearing Him when He performed miracles. He didn’t do anything for His own glory. He showed us how to love as God loves: to sacrifice for each other, to show kindness even to those who aren’t kind to us, to love even those who don’t love us, and to forgive those who hurt us. Christ teaches us that imitating Him will bring us closer to the Father. He wants us to experience the Father’s immense Love and Peace.

Let’s follow these examples. Let’s give God credit for His gifts, His guidance, and His Love. When we celebrate any milestone or achievement, let’s turn our focus on Him, thank Him and say, “It’s not about me.”

“Thank You, Lord.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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