Good morning and happy Tuesday. I just got back from the Dr. and I got a shot. Marge and I have been struggling with this crazy, cold, cough, lost voice stuff and it eventually got so annoying we went to the Doctor. I remember being a little kid and always wondering if the trip to the Dr. would end with a shot. Oh, the fear of getting shots. Even today at a very young 47, I can’t say the idea of a shot is very enjoyable. I guess it all depends on how bad you feel right? Anyway, we felt bad enough so a shot is all of the sudden not that bad of deal. A little shot, I get better, pretty good deal. And by the way, the shot today, not bad at all. Not nearly as bad as the shot I had last month to get my wisdom teeth out. A shot through the roof of your mouth…now that’s a shot that I hope to never deal with again.
So, I read my Bible before I left for the Dr. and I’m writing the 5MC after the visit. In fact, Marge and I went into the little exam room together and they had a Bible in there. (maybe it’s for the people that REALLY hate shots…) Since we’re in Genesis 11, I grabbed it and I read it aloud again and we talked about it briefly as we were waiting. Chapter 11 is the tower of Babel, the introduction of many languages and the shuffling of people. Another great turning point in early Genesis as God once again deals with the arrogance and pride of man.
Speaking of early Genesis, did you know that the first 11 chapters of Genesis cover as much time as the rest of the Bible? Think about that. The first 11 chapters of Genesis covers roughly 2000 years and chapters 12-50 of Genesis covers a mere 350 years. I said the other day in the 5MC that God moves quickly in the first few chapters of Genesis and man is that an understatement!
So, after the flood, God instructed Noah and his family to “be fruitful and multiply; spread out over the earth and multiply on it." (Gen 9:7) But we see this morning in Genesis chapter 11 that the “spreading out” comes to an abrupt halt. The people all speak one language, are of one accord and all agree that they should stop, hang out and build a big, awesome city that includes the world’s first skyscraper. Now remember that God had told them to “spread out over the Earth” so agreeing to hang out and build a big city was directly against God. It sure doesn’t take people long to resist God and ddo what they want. In fact, if anything comes natural to us, it’s just that. We are all very good at resisting God and doing what seems right in our own minds.
Most people read about the tower of Babel and think that the actual tower itself is what upset God so much, but it started way before they even laid the first brick of the tower. The real problem in Genesis 11 is one that surfaced before the flood, before Noah, way back in the garden. The cause of the fall of man and the cause of the first sin….pride. Man is such a prideful creature. I want what I want, when I want it, and I want it the way I want it. Forget God, forget others, forget rules, forget society, forget everybody. Me, me, me. In one of the most prideful verses in God’s Word we see the true hearts of the people as they prepare to build the tower and the city. All monuments to themselves and their glory.
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Gen 11:4)
Let’s count the “us’s” in that verse. Let “us” build “us” a city and tower. let “us” make “us” a name. These poor folks, just like us today, were all wrapped up in themselves. I’ve heard it said that "when you are all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package." True indeed.
You see, the tower of Babel could really be called the Tower of Pride. Men and women continue to fight pride. It caused Adam and Eve to take that first bite, it caused Cain to slay Abel, and it caused countless persons to fall and faulter throughout God’s Word. In fact, the other day I was thinking about the great men and women of the Bible and it’s really hard to come up with one that did not suffer at the hands of pride. All men and women must deal with the base of our sin nature…pride.
So how do you deal with pride? Well, if pride is focusing on self, then the opposite of pride would be to focus on others. Let’s see if there’s any scripture that reinforces this idea of putting others first.
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Phil 2:3
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Rom 12:10
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:4
“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” 1 Cor 10:24
“Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Eph 5:21
“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
“Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” Proverbs 24:29
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal 6:2
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
So, I think it’s easy to see where God stands on the matter. Don’t focus on yourself, focus on others. In the curriculum we teach at our workshops we brand ourselves as “creating servant leaders of integrity.” In order to truly grasp this you must first undergo a true paradigm shift. You must move from an “internal” focus to an “external” focus. Jesus knew this and that’s really one of the biggest lessons He brought to his followers. In order for you to be really tied up in the lives of others, you have to be loosed from your own. Let that sink in good and deep. You cannot be focused on yourself and still be focused on others, it will not work.
That’s the challenge today for you, me and every other person that walks this planet. In order to fully follow Jesus and His commands, you must put others first. I heard it put this way to 5th graders in Sunday School one time. J.O.Y. The acronym stands for Jesus, Others, You. You see that’s the order that we should be observing in our lives today. Jesus comes first, then others, and we come in last. Dead last. It’s so simple even 5 year old’s can memorize it.
In your walk with Christ today, pray this.
Heavenly Father, please grant me the power and the ability to put others before myself. When I put myself first, I open myself up to pride and when I do that, I am close to a fall. Please grant me the opportunities today to get out of myself and get into the lives of others. That is your plan for me, that is your command to me and through that, you dear Jesus, will be glorified in my life. Thank you Jesus, that you came and showed me this principle in perfection. You came and died for me so that I can have eternal life with you in Heaven. You Jesus, truly and prefectly loved others first. Help me to live like you Jesus and put others first in my life before myself. Amen.
Blessings for your walk today, and may it be free of pride.
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