I think the hardest thing for many humans (or, maybe its just me—LOL) is dealing with pride. Pride is the worst of sins, if there is a worst of sins. It certainly is something internal that seems, at the very least, to state “I have worth and I need you to acknowledge my great worth.”
Part of the tragedy here for a Christian, or for this Christian, is then how blind one is to not see that God DOES say “you have worth.” When it becomes difficult or impossible to note that God has so honored you, then everything feels like some sort of diss. “Don’t you know who I am” is the phrase that so quickly emerges in our minds. This comes at random times such as when someone cuts in front of you while driving or when the cashier takes longer than you feel proper or the food isn’t delivered as quickly as you would wish. At times, it appears when someone else is getting rewarded or acknowledged for some good thing they have done; for many of us, it is hard to honestly clap with joy at the success of others.
Jesus told a warning story about this when he talked in Luke 14:7-11: When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “If you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t always head for the best seat. What if someone more respected than you has also been invited? The host will say, ‘Let this person sit here instead.’ Then you will be embarrassed and will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Do this instead — sit at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place than this for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.”
Jesus told this story NOT to tell you how to get more honor; it can be read that way…devising a sneaky plan to sit low and hopefully get noticed and brought to honor. No, if you do that, you’ll still find yourself confronting pride because often you won’t get noticed and then you might sit at the dinner frustrated all night.
The key is to see that you are blessed and honored to merely be at the table.
But that’s where it gets so tough. Seeing and hearing that God has already honored. He has already said “you have worth.”
I think this is where Paul is going in Galatians 6:14 when he states that the only thing he plans on boasting of is the cross—”As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Remember the context there….the letter to the churches in Galatia is a defense by Paul against other religious people (some perhaps even claiming to be Christian) who were boasting about their religious deeds and acts. So, Paul has spent the letter on defense…here he goes on offense. He notes that those other people “don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save” and that they only want you to follow their strict religious rules “so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.”
Ouch.
John the Baptist faced much the same challenge. John the Apostle writes about it in chapter 3, immediately after the famous encounter that Jesus has with Nicodemus. John probably put this story here in this moment to partially highlight the difference in how John the Baptist and Nicodemus handled the news of Jesus. Nicodemus, to his credit, is curious and asking questions…but Jesus answers confuse him and, to some degree, he rejects them (at least there is no evidence that he became a follower of Jesus, not till later). Jesus speaks clearly personal knowledge or position or authority or power mean nothing. Instead, one must believe (later he will say “become like a child”) and move to a life of no sin—”all who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly” (John 3:20-21a)
So right after this, John the Baptist is shown with the challenge of pride. His followers come to point out that more people are starting to follow Jesus than John. John’s reply in verse 30 remains a powerful statement that every Christian must embrace–”He [Jesus] must become greater and greater; I must become less and less.”
I know from personal experience when there isn’t necessarily enough cash to pay the bills or others seem to “get everything” while you remain invisible that it is tough to accept “becoming less.” We want to be noticed. We want to that “atta boy” pat on the back. We want to know that what we did counted.
What we as Christians can know with joy is that our last breath here is not the end of the story. Remember John had his head cut off BEFORE Jesus rose from the dead. For all John knew….well, he didn’t KNOW anything other than his disciples kept reporting to him that Jesus was doing everything promised in the Scripture about the Messiah. Yet John believed, as do I, that we will stand before God. He knew that we live beyond this world. And there, the great and the small will give an account and nothing is hidden and for the person of God who has lived faithfully, then they will be rewarded with God’s presence when He says “well done good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matt 25:21,23).
Now that will be ultimate statement that you have worth.