What About Me?
Whenever I pay my granddaughter, Molly, a compliment seven
year old Will retorts back with “What about me?” Now Will might not have been
doing anything except watching TV or playing a video game, but he always want
to be included when compliments are being distributed. He likes to be the best
and he likes to get attention—all kinds of it. He is the oldest and was the
first grandchild on both sides, so perhaps he is used to being the smartest,
the cutest and the best (you know all of the things that parents and
grandparents think about the firstborn).
It’s kind of amusing when a child says something like that,
but it’s not only kids who do it. My 87 year old mother said the exact same
words last summer when I commented on how beautiful and flawless my sister’s
legs looked. Do you find something comical in that situation?
However, it’s a good example of how we as adults continue
comparing ourselves to others throughout life. We may change the strategies
about how we do it and we might not verbally question others about it, but we
like to see how we measure up next to others. At work, in sports, at home, as a
wife and mother, all day long we evaluate ourselves to see how well we are
doing with this thing called life.
If we are comparing ourselves to people that are outstanding
in a certain area we may pale in comparison, so we continue looking around to
find someone else that we can judge ourselves against where we can measure up
and perhaps excel.
When we look at other people, we can probably find people that
we “think” we are better than and people who we could never measure up to. Our
mistake is that we are evaluating ourselves against fallible human beings who
may be prospering one day, and failing the next.
Our eyes instead should be focused on Jesus; He is our standard.
He never fails. He is always the best. He will never guide us in the wrong
direction. While we are on this earth He should be the plumb line by which we
compare our attitudes, our behavior and our words. We will never be better than
Jesus, but He is the one we should strive to be like each day. And each step we
take to being more like Him is a step in the right direction.
So maybe today we should ask Jesus, “What about me? How am I
doing? What do you want me to change? What do you want me to say? Who do you
want me to serve? How can I bring glory and honor to You?”
It’s only in His eyes that we need to measure up and when we
are being obedient to Him and His will for our lives that’s all that matters.
Psalm 40:4-6
Blessed is the one
who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you.
Were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you.
Were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
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