My Face Or His Face
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6
The lens of the mission of Jesus was humility—that’s where it had to start. He had to balance His identity and His ministry to men. He had to manage His capacity to influence and His Father’s purpose for Him. He had to learn the rhythm of possessing loyalty without flaunting His crown.
You may not be a celebrity, but you have influence. Similarly, you may not be pulling down six figures, but I know you have relational capital in the lives of others. For God’s man, greatness on earth begins with humble surrender—giving yourself to Christ and refusing to resist His power. Everyone—and everything—starts there.
We have to get on our face to see His face. As beloved worship leader Matt Redman says in his excellent book Facedown, “When we face up to the glory of God, we find ourselves face down in worship.” We have to get low in our estimation of ourselves to get high in God’s estimation of us. We have to reflect humility to reveal Christ on earth. When we take this step, we are able to do more for God and people than we ever dreamed—just like the King.
Will you be the man that says, “I deserve better than this”? Or will you say, “I’m willing to wait for your timing on this one Lord because you know what is better.” The languages of entitlement, conditions, and selfishness are not spoken in the land of humility. They are foreign tongues that make sense only to those men given first to pride, masking their fears of being truly great by wasting their influence and affluence on themselves.
Father, sometimes I’m overwhelmed that you have not only chosen me but given me everything to be what you want me to be.
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Facedown by Matt Redman, Bethany House Publishers (April 13, 2012)