It's Just Not About You

There has been a theme running in my life since prepping for my trip to Haiti way back in June that I have noticed might be taking a larger role in my life and the way that I view things, situations and people, and really affects how I begin to see some of the things going into Senior High Summer Camp this year.

It's Just Not About You

Have you ever stopped to realize just how self-centered our culture is? Have you taken a moment to see how companies market things to you? To see how the world views the way the world should work?

If we're really honest with ourselves, we do a lot of glorifying of ourselves. Whether it's how we market things to people, tell people why they should do something, convince your friends to do certain things. In many cases, it's for the benefit of #1; namely, ME. We are so focused on ourselves as a culture that we can't even stop and realize that we are so focused on ourselves.

And if we really want to get honest with ourselves, as Christians, this gets in the way; a ton of the time. I take my own ministry as an example. When I started in my first official position in ministry, I was working as a SOAR intern in Junior High. There was really nothing inside of me that wanted to work specifically in Junior High. I wanted to work in Senior High. That's just how it was. I didn't really have a great reason, I just didn't want to do Junior High.

I spent a whole year then in Junior High interning with Pastor Chris and the Junior High Ministry. I learned more and more about Junior High and God began to mess with my heart to the point that I began to believe, more and more, in Junior Highers and the potential that they have to get deep, dig in and really begin to own their own faith. It was inspiring and made the year something that I looked forward to each week, but it was still all about me, my messages and the things that I wanted to accomplish.

This year, has been a challenge to learn for me. Sure, there have been things that seem to be easier for me than others and I've been pretty successful at some things and tanked on others. But, this idea that "It's Just Not About Me" has been grinding on my gears for about a month now and it really makes me think in retrospect about the way that I have gone about doing ministry.

See, this entire time, I have forgotten, misunderstood, completely denied (at times), that this, meaning everything that I get the opportunity to be a part of, is all His.

It's not mine, it's not my ministry, it's not my message, it's not my camp, it's not my program, it's not my chuch, it's not mine. It's also not for me, about me, in reverence of my name, in preparation for more of me, for my personal glory.

Everything that I do, should be about Him, His Glory, His Goodness, the Hope that we have in Him, the eternity that we will spend with Him, the things that He is going to do, and the way that He wants to move in our lives.

 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
       forgive my iniquity, though it is great.- Psalm 25:11

 I write to you, dear children,
      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.  - 1 John 12-14

It's all about Him. It's always been about Him. It will always be about Him. If it wasn't about Him, it wouldn't be worth it, because His Glory is the only thing that will save my sins. He is the only one who can reunite me with him. He's the only one that allows me to do what I do and is gracious enough to give me the gifts, talents and abilities that He has to allow me to do the things that I have been able to do in my life.

To God be the Glory!

GC