You're Not that Important

My mentor, co-worker and friend Rollie Johnson told those words to me in 2001. My mom had just died and I was entering into my senior year of college. I had mounds of responsibilities (from work to clubs to school to church and everything in-between) on my plate and I was emotionally broken. I didn’t know how to function with this new heaping pile of hurt from losing my mom. So, through my tears and pain, I told Rollie that I just wasn’t sure what to do because I had committed myself to so many things. And I wasn’t just a participant – I was a leader…or in some cases THE leader.

Rollie looked at me and told me one of the most crushing phrases I had ever heard. “You’re not that important.”

How many times in our lives do we get consumed with the idea that we are instrumental in something? How often do we believe that, “If I left, this whole thing would fall apart?” I wonder just how many people believe that it is because of them that things are successful or kept together.

Now don’t misinterpret what I’m saying…yes, we can and will do lots of great and important things. But…all our power, all our gifts – they come from God. Which means that God is the one who should receive all the credit. God holds things together – and makes them worthwhile. Not us.

One of my favorite authors, Mike Yankowski, writes, “The moment we believe the kingdom of God is dependent of you or me, we’ve either experienced a schizophrenic episode or we’ve misunderstood our roles as Christians.”

I have to admit that this can be one of my major sins. In someone who runs programming, it is easy to think that I am the lifeblood for something. The reality of the situation is that Jesus Christ is the lifeblood for everything. Our roles as Christians are not to have the world revolve around us – but rather that we point to the cross with all that we have.

After all, Jesus doesn’t need you – but He sure wants you.

So may you get your hands dirty and get involved. May you invest in the things of this world so that you can make a difference. May you lead, follow and everything in-between. May you show people that you love Christ through your actions. And may you give all praise and credit to Jesus for who He made you to be and who you get to be because of Him.

After all, you’re just not that important…but Jesus sure is.