Biblical Basis for “It’s Not About Me”?
By David Drury

 

Read my mail and my reply below to this question below from a member of my wonderful congregation in Spring Lake, Michigan.

 

QUESTION:

 

I was thinking tonight in my devotions [about the common Rick Warren phrase we preachers use: “It’s not about you”].  What scripture matches this cliché we have come up with?  I do not know.  Perhaps we are so hit with these mod cliché’s that we do indeed forget the truth to them. If we can find scripture, perhaps that we would not forget and could be used as a reminder.  What do you think Pastor?

 

REPLY:

 

Here’s a few I’ve been pointing out to start:

 

How about the entire book of Job (particularly chapters 38-42)?  Our pride puts us in God’s place and he’s fed up and says to Job: it’s not about you.

 

And when it comes to being selfish, in my July message for the War of the Worlds series I emphasized the following teaching of Jesus (Matthew 20) which forces us to live with a different perspective: “But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."  During that message I applied this thought to the idea that it’s not about you.

 

My personal favorite is Galatians 2:20 which I’ve chosen as a life verse and have quoted a few times in leadership meetings lately: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” = it’s not about me

 

Those are fresh on my mind… the texts that prove the cliché are there.  However, far more importantly, the entire Redemptive Plan at its core is not about me or you.  It’s about our Heavenly Father… and what worship and glory He deserves.  Praise the Lord that he often imminently make it about us from time to time with his care and love… most obviously on the Cross.  But that is His move to make, not mine.  I cannot make it about me.  It’s never about me.

 

Thanks, my friend, for not living for yourself.  It’s so evident that you live for Him – keep it up and pass it on!

 

© 2005 by David Drury