Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. [Philippians 2:1-2 (NLT)]
It was such a wonderful and joy-filled day that I can’t believe we almost didn’t attend. We’d been invited to a 60th anniversary celebration and 60th anniversaries don’t happen that often. Nevertheless, we’d planned on declining because the date and place were inconvenient, getting there was expensive, and working out the logistics was problematic. A little thought and prayer, however, helped us realize that while inconvenient, it was not impossible; while expensive, it was not prohibitive; while difficult, with some adjustment on our part, it was doable. Moreover, our absence would disappoint people we love. One final thing was holding us back—we had nothing to wear! OK, you men have heard that one before but, in this case, it was true. We were in our Colorado mountain town where jeans and boots are the all-purpose outfit. Dressing up simply means clean jeans and boots and, no matter how clean the jeans or boots, that didn’t seem appropriate. We had plenty of clothes in other closets that would have been perfect for the event but they were more than a thousand miles away. The Holy Spirit, however, did His job and reminded me: “It’s not about you!” What we wore was of no importance to this milestone event. Few would even notice and no one would remember; it was our presence, not our appearance, that mattered. Another look into the closet found attire that, while not fashionable, was acceptable.
Our experience reminds me how easy it is to think it’s all about us! We look at others’ requests or needs only from our viewpoint: my life is going to be disrupted, my plans have to be changed, it’s not the way I want it to be, the timing is bad, it’s going to cost me, or I’ve got nothing to wear! But, it isn’t about me and never will be; it’s about God first and then about the other guy.
It comes down to asking that simple question, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus never said it was too inconvenient, expensive or difficult. He stopped what he was doing to heal Jarius’ daughter and took time to bless the little children. When He wanted to be alone but the crowds followed, He didn’t send them away; instead, He had compassion and healed the sick. Jesus modestly seemed like just another wedding guest at Cana; it was the bridegroom’s day, not His, and it was the bridegroom who got the credit for the wine. I doubt Jesus stressed about which pair of sandals or what robe to wear. When He sent his disciples out to preach, they weren’t even supposed to take a change of clothes! It wasn’t about the disciples, it was about their message; convenience and wardrobe were of no importance. As for the cost—the price Jesus paid for our salvation was far more than our airfare to the anniversary party.
The easy answer to the question of “What would Jesus do?” is “Love!” When we let love direct us, we’ll do the right thing. Sometimes love disrupts our lives and, more often than not, it requires effort and even a change of plans. We’ll never regret our actions when we act out of love. To love, however, we need to humbly remember, “It’s not about me!”
Like any good guest, when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He doesn’t come empty-handed—He brings a gift. It’s neither generic nor a “one-size fits all” sort of thing. He brings each of us our very own spiritual gift specifically designed just for us. Like any appreciative recipient of such a precious gift, however, it is our job to unwrap and use it.
Last week, I started a new gratitude journal and thought back to when I first started keeping such a record of daily blessings. More than fifteen years ago, we were spending the entire winter in our Colorado mountain home. Having had the misfortune of breaking my knee the first day skiing, my outdoor pursuits were over for the season. Watching family and friends hustle out the door each morning, seeing their happy faces upon their return, and listening to them recount the day’s exploits became an invitation to my pity party. During a lonely afternoon, while everyone else was out having fun in the snow, I watched an Oprah show about gratitude. I was clearly in the need of an attitude adjustment so keeping a gratitude journal seemed a good idea. Every night, I listed five things for which I was thankful; some days it wasn’t easy but I kept at it. Later that winter, Oprah and several audience members shared some journal entries. Their entries were long, introspective and weighty while mine, for the most part, were simply a list of ordinary everyday things. People wrote of finding sacred spaces, authentic selves, true paths, and deep spirituality while I’d been grateful for figuring out how to manage the stairs in a multi-level house, chocolate chip cookies, seeing a cardinal on the deck, cable TV, and that the library had the Stephen King novel I wanted to read! My gratitude for pizza delivery, ibuprofen, warm fleece blankets and home-made granola seemed shallow when compared to the philosophic reflections that were shared. Some people had even fashioned beautiful hand-made books while others used handsome leather-bound journals—I was writing in a little appointment book we’d received from our accountant!
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. [Psalm 42:5 (MSG)]
