No Longer About You

No Longer About You

When you are the Lord’s, it’s no longer about you.

I have stated this before on the blog but it never hurts to repeat it. I personally need to hear it again as this is a hard lesson to learn. When our life is truly the Lord’s, then our life is no longer about you. What do I mean by this? Well, when Christ’s Life is my life, then it is He living not me. And as a result, people respond to Him in me not to me. I don’t have to take things personally, whether negative or positive, because it’s all about His Life, not mine.

I bump my head on this one a lot. And I’m not saying that this is true for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. This is about living the exchanged Life and it’s completely true when you live Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NIV

Good News, It’s No Longer About YOU

Here’s a reason why I needed to hear this today. A few days ago, a man came to the house to do some service work. He’s was a really nice guy and I enjoyed talking to him off and on throughout the day. Because of some difficulties with his equipment, he had to spend most of the day working at my house but he never got aggravated or angry. At one point during the day, he had to leave to go back to his shop and said he might not be back. He asked if I was in a rush to get this done. I said that I wasn’t, because this job was more precautionary than an urgent need. He assured me that he wouldn’t delay things but it might it be the following week before he could finish.

I thought he was gone for the day, but lo and behold, he came back within the hour. He was gonna get it done. And the amazing thing was he was in no hurry to leave. He even said that he was in no rush; this would be his last job of the day.

He finished and he made sure it was exactly how I wanted it but he seemed to stick around. Not like a pest, but like he was enjoying being here and hanging out. And I know why–Jesus! Jesus loved him in me and we don’t just run from love. Actually, we usually do everything we can to receive it. I asked God why he was lingering and He said, “Me!” I don’t believe this man was born again or even religious, he just responded to love. And the love wasn’t stated nor even really expressed. I just talked to him and showed concern for the plight of his equipment. Christ’s love communicates itself quite effectively.

No Longer About YOU – Taking it Personally

I needed to hear this again because it is far too easy to take things in this world personally. Whether negative or positive, it doesn’t matter. If I am His, it is about Him and no longer about you. Sure, I can get in the flesh and make it about me; this is my choice. But if I remain “in Him” then my life is hidden in the heavens and His life is what people see. Response to His Life comes as persecution or affection. If I make it about me, it is just going to muddy the waters. Either I’ll become defensive like a honey badger or a self-focused hoarder like a hamster.

This life is not about me anyway! Not the love and not the hatred. Christ is the He that is me. This takes the sting out of offense and the focus off the affection.

But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Romans 8:10 NRSV

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NASB