Upside Down Importance

I have not one, but two fingernails bitten to the quick right now. It is an outward sign of the fear I have been walking through this week.

I have an important presentation that I am putting together due at the end of this week. Not only is it for important people, the senior sales leaders, my boss and her boss are in the meeting too. To say the least, I am afraid I will not meet their expectations. And impressing them is vital. Afterall, they are important people.

But who gets to determine they are important? God asked me this question after a few days of begging for help. He showed me that I had been frozen in fear, locked in the chains of my own judgement of their importance. And as I surrendered this truth to Him, asking for His forgiveness and grace, He asked me to do something odd. He asked me to drop my judgement of their importance and rather look at them as people who also needed love and seek to serve them rather than impress them.

I reopened the document and asked myself how could I help them. What information could I give them and questions I could answer that would help them in their roles. And as I did this, the presentation started coming together well. Instead of being frozen in fear, I finished the presentation rather quickly.

I learned an important lesson that James talks about. He states, “but if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule, and stand convicted by it” James 2:9 (MSG). Isn’t it fascinating that following God’s Rule is what set me free? The first part of this scripture holds the truth I found so well this week – “You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: “Love others as you love yourself.” James 2:8

God’s kingdom is so upside down for me. The way it works is so foreign to my instinct, but every time I see it clearly I desire to live there even more. It is a place where love and service to others out of love is the most important thing. It is a place of freedom to be who we were created to be. A people without judgement and measuring systems that prove some are better than others. And the greatest news of all is that Jesus came to set us free to live in the kingdom on earth. Now, not only after we leave this earth to be full time with our father, but also right now.

I have to tell you, that I turned in my finished presentation and received major kudos from my boss. I know that it should not be surprising that God was right, but I have to say it still knocks me off my feet that He is with me in something as small as a presentation I need to give in my secular workplace. He is so good and faithful to me in all of my life.

Let’s pray:

Father, your way is so much better than our ways. Help us to see our silly judgements and be freed from them. For they are binding us up in chains that you sent your son to free us from. Helps us to see that love is and serving others in love is the most important thing. If we choose to see everyone as people who we are called to serve in love, it not only brings freedom to our souls, but also brings your kingdom to earth. Give us the strength to love others well. In Jesus name amen.