I had a wonderful conversation this morning with a man who has grown to be a hero of mine - he is doing big things for Jesus. In the caste system of this world, one could say he has "made it to the top." He owns his own law firm, is the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda, is the CEO of a successful organization that fights to restore justice around the world, and he teaches at two, top California universities. The best part - he claims responsibility for none of it. My head would explode if I had half those responsibilities. It is fun to him. Simply talking to him makes you grateful to be a child of the King. My favorite takeaway from him has always been his montra that as Christians, we should "leak Jesus."
His worldview, his outlook on life, his attitude - Jesus. Everything else is secondary. An hour long phone call with a young guy he's never met is not a burden, it's a privilege. A school he started in Uganda doesn't belong to him, it belongs to anyone who helps. It isn't a Christian school, it's a school about Jesus, because religion doesn't change a country, the Son of God does. He told me on the phone, "God is nuts for children." So is he.
When you come in contact with someone who is 100% devoted to Jesus, it changes you. Organizations suddenly lose their sparkle, people are knocked of their pedestal. I would be the first to admit that I am quick to be prideful of my accomplishments. I don't hesitate to praise the name of an organization, or brag about a person. But the danger is that these things become the main thing. Projects become idols; status symbols. The name of a ministry is more important than the name of Jesus. A person matters more than people.
As I look over the past years of my life, I think on those people that I've said to myself, "I want to be like him." The funny thing is, the vast majority of these men have had one thing in common - they were all striving to be like Jesus. Perhaps it wasn't them that my heart yearned to model my life after - it was the very one they themselves were chasing.
Above all else, Jesus. Sometimes I'm so focused on doing things for Jesus that I forget to simply be like Him. My attitude, pride, selfishness - they're birthed out of a desperation to be a successful disciple. I'm so desperate to do the "right thing" that I completely miss the point. The Christian life is simple - Jesus wants all of me, and He wants me to give others all of Him. Fill up, pour out. Repeat. Or better yet, pour out as you're filling up. And keep the faucet running.
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