Moving to Higher Ground in Jesus 

Is it Really not About Me?

(www.ambassadorsforJesus5.com)

Matthew 16:24-26

     Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.  

     The motto, "It's not about me" has gained much popularity amongst believers yet there has been something about that statement that has bothered me.  As it stands, it leaves me with the impression that we are not important to God and just a number.  It is as if it takes away from the precious element of personal intimacy with Him.  Is this motto really true? 

     Although this statement holds true to a large degree, it doesn't paint a complete picture.  God is a very personal and intimate God who does see me.  Jesus suffered and died to give us this intimate life with Him and Father by the fellowship of his Holy Spirit.  It is also about me. 

     And this is the problem that can be faced when discussing such matters.  We tend to feel that one piece has to be tossed out for the other.  I find that a good deal of the things I look to consider with the Lord do have a place within the larger picture of Jesus who reconcils everything to Himself.  Before we toss out an important piece to the puzzle it may serves us better to take our piece and see if and how it fits into Him, otherwise the piece will be a distortion of the truth.  This is a tactic that the enemy likes to use, uprooting pieces from the larger picture of Jesus and then attempting to root it in self(ishness). 

     Whether a journey, a doctrine, an individual, etc, it all must be rooted in Jesus for if it is not it is just a branch severed from its life-source and will wither and die...and do know of itself it isn't selfish to understand your needs.   

     It is important to understand that there are two journeys we each are on, the individual journey and the corporate journey.  For the believer the individual journey consists of our personal relationship with the Lord.  The corporate journey consists of our journeys together in Him. 

     The believer's individual journey / personal relationship with the Lord is the most important aspect of his life.  There he bonds with the Lord and gets to know Him intimately.  The development of this relationship will determine the effectiveness of all his other relationships. In this relationship the Lord makes it about the individual.  He is a beloved child and greatly cherished.  There are things the Lord will say and do that are especially for him. The child bonds with the parent and his inner life is watered.  It is the voice and heart of his Beloved Shepherd that he becomes familiar with and follows.  

     In the corporate journey each child comes together in Jesus to be united as one in Him.  Although the larger picture of God's purposes are an important aspect of the individual journey, it is even more so in the corporate setting for the child is asked to take on the humble position of a servant for that picture and the benefit of all.  Father's goal consists of uniting his children in Jesus and displaying his glory where others will see and come. 

     It isn't that "me" is not significant.  Me is just called to trust itself in God's hands and look beyond itself.  The life of a child of God was never meant to be self-aware and self-seeking for self cannot attain what is only found in Christ.  The life of a child is one kept in the Beloved where our needs are met and our awareness is in Him.  Only in Him will we find our home.   

     The individual journey and the corporate journey are both important to the Lord and both play an important role.   The individual journey is just the smaller picture that needs to be found "within" the larger corporate one.  A life of self-sacrifice for the larger picture benefitting all, while resting in the assurance of God's love and individual needs met.      

     So we can see that the motto, "It's not about me" holds true as a corporate statement.  And WITHIN (inclusive, not discarded) it lies the individual journey of me and my intimate relationship with God.  Each child is a vital organ that joined together make up the corporate body of Christ. 

     To put it simply, every army has a Commander-in-Chief.  The army's orders are to follow their Commander's directives as his goal is to protect the Kingdom and its citizens.  As long as the soldiers stay focused on their Commander and his goal for the Kingdom, they will find unity in Him as their diversified individual needs are forgotten.  They wouldn't get very far if they were all seeking their own interests.  And if this army is to succeed, their Commander-in-Chief will have to provide his soldiers with the necessary tools by which to carry out their orders.   

     And so does the Lord look after us as He asks us to trust our individual journeys in his hands and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice for the larger corporate one.

     Matthew 6:24-34

   "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.

     "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

     And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.