“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7: 13, 14, NIV.
Dear God, we are so grateful, that in You, we have a true sense of value. Please help us to understand that with You in our lives, we have everything we need. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we humbly pray. Amen.
Unfortunately, the world in which we live measures success by number. The person with the most votes in a competition wins. The person who raises the most money in a campaign is given the most power. The one who can rally the most followers, becomes the leader. Therefore, many have come to believe that “more is better.” Nothing could be farther from the truth, by Jesus’ standards.
“So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him” (John 12: 19, NIV)! Emphasis supplied. Yet He chose only 12 disciples.
While His disciples were striving for positions of grandeur in His kingdom, “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying . . . “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory” (Mark 10: 25a, 27), He was getting ready, “to give His life a ransom for many” (45).
“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6: 15). He had voluntarily left the greatest kingdom of all time!
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2: 5-8). He chose to be incarnated, humiliated and crucified, instead of retaining His equality with God!
“Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26: 53)? Yet he “kept silent” (63). He had the power, but chose not to use it, for your sake and mine!
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2: 9-11).
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11: 15)! Every kingdom of this world will be subject to the lordship of King Jesus! Hallelujah!
More is not always better, unless it is to be, more like Jesus!