ON STAGE

Prayer: Today, O Lord, will you please show us how to give life giving attention to someone in need?  Thank You.  Amen. 

Scripture: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others.  Phil. 2:3-4 NIV

The other children had dutifully filed down the steps, but he wouldn’t get off the stage!  Here we were, in front of a full auditorium of parents, and this child wouldn’t leave the stage. He kept saying to me, “I want to sing a solo.” Now Jacob was a rather eccentric child, but this was ridiculous. He and his classmates had finished their song and now another group waited to perform. As a first grader, he must have known that he was part of a group of children performing, and that this was no time for grandstanding. The performance was over!

Adults would never do that would they? Children let their feelings show, even when it casts them in poor light. Adults do more subtle things to attract attention; exaggerating stories, bragging about their work or adventures, putting down others, gossiping. Do we feel, as a friend of mine puts it, “Well, that’s enough of me talking about myself. Now why don’t you talk about me for a while?”

God wants us to be “to the praise of His glory.” If we truly want that too, we must examine our motives and put away the tendencies of our human nature to desire the center of attention. May He give us grace to humbly follow Him.

Copyright Shirley Wilson.  Email [email protected]