It’s Not About Me

In 2 Corinthians 4:5 I read, “Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake.” (GW)

The more I lead a self-focused life, the more I’m prone to discouragement. Every time I forget that it’s not about me, I’m going to get prideful or fearful or bitter. Those feelings will always lead to discouragement because they keep me focused on myself.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:5, “Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are your servants for his sake” (GW).

It’s not about me! God put me on this earth, and he has a message he wants to declare to the world through me. But my life message is not about me. It’s about Jesus Christ.

Rick Warren chose these words, “It’s not about you”, to start The Purpose Driven Life because that’s the most countercultural message that could be given in today’s world. Nearly everything in society—songs, video games, TV shows, news stories, and advertisements—says you’ve got to think about yourself first.

So I need to get the focus off of myself. Instead, as Paul says in today’s verse, I am a servant for Jesus’ sake. That means I’m motivated to serve others because of what Jesus has done for me.

God is always more interested in why I’m doing what I’m doing than he is in what I’m actually doing. He cares about the motivations of my heart. Why I’m doing something always determines how long I’m going to do it. If I’m motivated by selfish ambition, it will never be good enough. I’ll eventually get discouraged and quit.

But when I’m motivated to do something because of how it advances the Gospel and glorifies Jesus, I will have the encouragement I need to see it through.

In summary, my message should not be about myself. It should be about Jesus Christ as the Lord. I am a servant for his sake. The more I lead a self-focused life, the more I’m prone to discouragement. Every time I forget that it’s not about me, I’m going to get prideful or fearful or bitter. God has a message he wants to declare to the world through me. My life message is about Jesus Christ. Rick Warren chose these words, “It’s not about you”, to start the book, “The Purpose Driven Life” because that’s the most countercultural message that could be given in today’s world. Nearly everything in society says you’ve got to think about yourself first. So I need to get the focus off of myself. I am a servant for Jesus’ sake, motivated to serve others because of what Jesus has done for me. God is always more interested in why I’m doing something than in what I’m actually doing. He cares about the motivations of my heart. Why I’m doing something always determines how long I’m going to do it. If I’m motivated by selfish ambition, it will never be good enough. I’ll eventually get discouraged and quit. When I’m motivated to do something because of how it advances the Gospel and glorifies Jesus, I will have the encouragement I need to see it through.

Stop thinking about myself and provide the message God wants to say through my life. I need to be motivated by advancing the Gospel and glorifying Christ. Father, I ask through the Holy Spirit that I can keep the focus off me and on the bigger picture. I also ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I pray these things in you Son Jesus’ name, amen.