Free Us to Love
“The call to put our possessions and honors in their proper perspective help free us to love.” – William Wilberforce
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Fate. Destiny. Purpose.
These words possess an implicating weight on our existence.
Think about it, we’ve all asked ourselves, “What is my destiny? Is it fate? How purposeful and important am I? Am I special?”
To be honest.
We’re mere slaves.
We’re slaves to our pride and self-importance. Deep down we want to be significant and praised for being us. We seek fame and fortune because we want to be larger than life. The problem with all of us wanting to be “on top of the world” is that we have to compete with each other to get there. The “I am special” becomes “I am better.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that it’s bad to think, “I am special.” We’re all created in the image of God and are uniquely different. Not one person in the world is the same as someone else. Fingerprints are proof of our unique identity that screams, “I’m different than everyone else. No one else is…
just
like
me.”
However, if we’re not careful the “I am special” can create a distorted sense of self-importance and we can begin to highly overvalue ourselves. What I am saying is that it’s better to think, “I am special because of God.”
“I am” only because He is, has and always will be.
Maybe all of the problems we see in the world are because we think we’re better. Maybe it’s because we compare ourselves to others. And can’t help but think, “We’re better”.
“I am better.”
When we think we’re better we demand others to treat us the way we view ourselves. “You need to treat me better then yourself because I’m better than you.” I know, this sounds so elementary and reminds me of what I use to say in Kindergarten, “my dad can beat up your dad.”
What do we think would happen if humanity stopped in its tracks and projected a new message? What if we all started to think, “I am special and so are you.” We’d stop thinking that we’re better and we’d no longer be bound to pride and self-importance that leads us to push and climb over people in the pursuit of personal and professional success.
Bottom line, we overvalue ourselves. We love ourselves too much. Or do we?
“It’s hard to love someone with sincere love when you are exerting all your energy to rise above that person.” – William Wilberforce
When I first read this quote I immediately thought that “love someone” meant someone outside of myself, which made sense. How can I love someone if I’m trying to rise above them? But, then it dawned on me that “love someone” could also be referring to me.
“I am someone.”
How can I sincerely love myself if I’m trying to rise above myself? If I overvalue myself, do I sincerely love myself? Simply put, if I have a false sense of self-importance than it’s possible that I don’t truly love myself because I’m trying to be more than I am. And If I don’t sincerely love myself it becomes difficult to sincerely love others.
It becomes difficult to love God.
Our creator.
We’re called to put ourselves in the proper perspective. We shouldn’t be comparing ourselves with one another. We should be comparing ourselves with He who created us in His image.
Now. How important are we when we compare ourselves to God? Suddenly, we’re not as important as we thought. Things start to be put in the right perspective because you can’t help but be humbled to nothing in comparison to God.
Absolutely nothing.
We’re called to have this in mind among ourselves…"Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:5-9)
Jesus’ humility is the key to free us from our chains of self- importance.
He’s the key to free us to love.
We are nothing. He is everything. There is nothing but Love.
Nothing but Love [God]
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Then love your neighbor as yourself.
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“The actions and thinking most emphasized in the Bible as the goal of spiritual living are reverence and love of God; love, kindness and meekness toward our fellow human beings; a proper priority regarding the possessions and events of this life as compared to eternal things; and a healthy practice of self-denial and humility.”
- Willaim Wilberforce
