I came across a quote in a novel yesterday that caused me to stop and think. It said, “It’s too easy to believe in our own importance when we’re surrounded by our own creations all day.” I believe this speaks powerfully to the American culture. We have so much, it is easy to believe we have what we have because of our own effort.
In Ghana, West Africa, the people have so little, yet they have such joy. They fully rely on God because they have no other options. The children are content with whatever they have. They don’t want to replace items they already own with the latest and greatest version. In fact, they rarely get rid of anything. They will repair and reuse almost everything.
I witnessed a 6 year old little girl playing for 45 minutes with a plastic shopping bag. She was full of joy and laughter. I saw a little boy content to play all afternoon with a cardboard box. Their excitement over so little humbled me.
When we stop and think about all God created by His spoken word, we begin to realize how mighty and powerful He is. Take a minute today and read Genesis 1:1-2:3. Consider every living thing on this planet from the largest to the smallest- God created them. Pause for a moment and consider the intricacies of the human body and how it works- God created it. Look into the face of someone you love- God knit them together in their mother’s womb [Psalm 139:13] Think of the many beautiful colors and varieties of flowers and trees- God created them.
If you consider all of the things in this world that regenerate and continue over time, they are the things God created. If you think of all of the things that become outdated or obsolete, they are the things man created. We serve a God Who was, Who is and Who is to come [Revelation 1:8]. He is relevant, powerful and majestic [Psalm 29:4].
When we focus on God and His importance, we begin to grow in faith and walk in humility and received the blessings of God [Proverbs 22:4]. When we focus on our own importance, we tend to fall in pride which leads to death [Psalm 10:4].
Remember the old Gospel hymn:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Dear friends, let your focus rest on Jesus. Sift anything that comes before you through the lens of Him and His Word and you will be blessed.