Week 35 — THURSDAY

This verse is searching: “so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again” (Phil. 1:26). “So that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.” It could have read, “so that in me you may have ample cause to glory.” In other words, Paul could have been using Christ for his own glory, instead of Christ using Paul for His glory.

We see tablets on buildings: “To the glory of God and in memory of , who gave the money for this building.” Then follows a long list of his virtues and benefactions. “To the glory of God” is the setting for personal glorification. In many pulpits at the back is an inscription to be read by the preacher: “Sir, we would see Jesus.” A gentle reminder that the congregation wants to gaze at Jesus and glance at the preacher. Instead of the other way around—glance at Jesus and gaze at the preacher.

When I ask the organist to play a hymn softly as people come to the altar, nothing rubs me more than to hear him throw in all sorts of fancy notes, calling attention to his performance, instead of calling attention to Jesus.

When you hear some preachers, you go away saying, “What a wonderful preacher,” instead of saying, “What a wonderful Savior.” When Mary was waiting for someone to introduce her to an audience Jesus said to her, “Mary, what are you waiting for? Why do you want someone to introduce you? I thought you came here to introduce me. Go ahead.” She did—and how!

“I’m not here to show my clothes or to talk of myself, but to talk of Jesus,” said an African pastor. But he did manage to get a plug in for himself and his clothes in introducing Jesus. Paul presented his Master and forgot himself, so we cannot forget Paul. He forgot himself into immortality. Many of us remember ourselves into oblivion.

O Jesus, Master, You, not I, are the Desire of the Ages. Forgive my intrusions into the picture. May I see no man save Jesus only, and may I know nothing before men save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In Your name. Amen.

AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: To seek to call attention to myself in every situation is to lose myself.