Dailies~ In His
Word
December 30, 2019
What will you do
tomorrow night to celebrate the new year? Will you go to a party or maybe have
one yourself? If you do will you remain humble and give honor where honor is
due?
Try Jesus’
instructions here, instead of sitting in the best seat in the house try taking
the folding chair off in the awkward place to sit. If your party is a game-party
try sitting and playing with people you hardly know if at all.
When Jesus noticed
that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor
near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When
you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if
someone who is more distinguished than you have also been invited? 9 The
host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be
embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the
table!
10 “Instead, take the
lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will
come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be
honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For
those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves
will be exalted.” Luke 14 :7-11
It’s not really about flaunting yourself, it is about being humble
and if someone wants to move you to a better seat by them then you will see their
heart is in your sitting there, but you also will allow someone else the best place.
Often, we get in the habit of sitting closest to the hostess because
we want to spend time with her, but sometimes we must think of the others, its
not like we will never see them, right?
When Jesus was sharing this lesson, He was trying to teach the
people that our lives are not about us boasting, or us puffing ourselves up and
being front and center in everyone’s lives. That is because our life in Christ
is not about us getting the glory brought on by ourselves. If He should choose
to glorify us, then we will be honored, but if we do it ourselves, we will just
be braggards.
He also said;
“Love
your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.
Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting
as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and
wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is
compassionate. In Luke 6:35-36
We are not to live our lives to seek a reward from people because
God will give us our reward in heaven, or sometimes He allows us some rewards
here in the world but the point is we need to not expect honor for doing what
we should be doing anyway.
Let’s work toward this goal too in the new year! Let’s work toward
being polite and think of the other people around us more than we do our
selves. After all if we do this, life will actually go better for us than if we
try to be the one on top and the one first all of the time. I am not saying we
should be kind to strangers because we want to be blessed, but because it is
the right thing and when we allow other people, even those we do not think
deserve it, to go ahead of us in line then we get a good feeling inside. That
good feeling is the Holy Spirit saying, “good job!”.
Selah?
Heavenly Father, help us to put others first more than ever everywhere
we go. Help us to help others to see the love of God in us. In Jesus’ name,
amen.