Wanna Be Important?

“Saul replied, ‘But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 NLT)

As the Lord assesses your usefulness in His eternal Kingdom, He isn’t nearly as concerned about your family of origin as He is in your willingness to submit to His authority and follow His directives.

When the Prophet Samuel was given the assignment from the Lord to anoint Saul as Israel’s first king, he may not have anticipated Saul’s hesitancy to be considered for such a prestigious position. Saul asked the same question that we too often ask: “Who am I?” But, obviously, that’s the wrong question.

Being king of Israel wasn’t even on Saul’s radar when he sought the man of God. He and his servant were just looking for lost donkeys. What are you searching for in this season of your life? Where is your focus, the object of your attention? Maybe it’s a new house, car, TV, person to clean your house – it could be any number of things that will lead you into a conversation with the Lord about what HE wants most for you. Are you listening?

We’re very egocentric as human beings. We want what we want when we want it, and as a rule we’ll do most anything we can to get it. We’re the apple of our own eye. No one or nothing is as important to us as us. It’s our sinful nature that governs and guides our life unless and until one of a couple things happens. Either we’re forced against our will to become another’s slave, or we voluntarily yield our life and allegiance to King Jesus.

Jonathan Pokluda wrote: “If you want to be important and make a difference, live for God.” It’s perhaps the greatest irony that we as human beings run from God to find our best selves, too often never realizing that that goal can only be achieved by running into His arms. Think of the prodigal son who ran from home to seek fulfillment, purpose, and importance, but found only desperation, despair, emptiness, and need.

What are you seeking in this season of your life? If you’re seeking anything or anybody but Jesus, you’ll not find that for which you seek. The Lord planted eternity in our heart and nothing of this world can satisfy us long term. Every human being yearns for fulfillment, completeness, wholeness, none of which can be achieved through human effort.

Even when Saul became king of Israel he continued to live under the constraints of his own limited ability. The moment we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we should, we lose ground in our walk with the Lord. He didn’t create us to follow our heart, but His; not to satisfy our own longings, but His; not to find fulfillment in our own achievements, but His on our behalf.

The longer I live the more apparent it becomes that apart from the Lord Jesus I am nothing and can do nothing. On some levels it seems ironic that the more my memory fades, the more my thoughts center on Him and the more closely I long to walk with Him.

Importance is simple to me in this season of my life – it’s Jesus! He’s my everything because He’s invested in every detail of my life. I do not fear the difficulties the future may bring because I know I will not face them alone. I’m that important to my Father…and so are YOU!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊