Seeking Attention

Do you ever feel uncomfortable being asked to sit in the place of honor?

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father-- the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. - Matt. 23:1-12

There are some things I enjoy doing that could be considered drawing attention to myself.

I like to give a sermon or homily at church.  I try to keep them short and on point without drawing too much attention to myself, but occasionally I share a story about something I am going through.

I also like speaking in front of a group or crowd.  There, I like to get people engaged in the topic.

I will give a talk tomorrow evening about When Work-Life Balance Goes Terribly Wrong.  Everyone in the group has lost their job, so I hope to have people focus on what positive things they can do to lift their spirits and focus on the part of their life that is left.

These are examples of actions that are associated more with teachers than students.  So, how do I do what Jesus is talking about?

If I focus on the servant role in what I am doing, even when I am standing before others sharing my story, I will be a good disciple.

That could be hard to do if I want to stroke my ego.

Being a student of Christ and a servant to the people of this world is not hard.  It is a matter of priority.

I am reminded of the hymn, "Seek Ye First," and the scripture reading from Matthew that inspired it.

When God chooses to act through us, we need to be ready to act.  So, I start each day with this reflection in order to focus on what God may be asking me to do.

Sometimes I get it right.  Sometimes I don't.  But I always get a do-over.

More to come...