Cornerstone

Evidently Rick Warren and Max Lucado read from the same script. The first words in Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” state “It’s not about you.” Max Lucado echoes this thought in his book, It’s Not About Me, by devoting the whole volume to the subject. “Not” is a big exclusive word. Is this statement by Rick Warren and Max Lucado totally correct? I appreciate the concept. I am humbled by the realization that too often our lives, thoughts and ambitions are self-centered. My being readily responds in praise to God when I am reminded that He is the center of my universe. My desire is that His will be done. I bow in adoration before the One who really matters in a world obsessed with selfish considerations. But I must honestly ask myself once again, “Is it only about Him?”

I ask this question which I fear will appear to be irreverent and self-serving. I take that risk because I believe the scriptures go beyond the concept of the worthlessness of humanity. I do not believe that God has these deprecating thoughts about those that He has created.

Is it ultimately about Him? Absolutely. On the other hand, it is largely about you and me. Didn’t John record the fact that God considered every human being was of great value? John 3:16 says For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Didn’t Paul remind us of this great love when he said, Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God didn’t wait to impart righteousness to us before He commended His love.

It was about me after all. It was so much about me that He decided to suffer the extreme humiliation of putting aside His divinity long enough to suffer the ravages of humanity. It was about me after all. It was so much about me that “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin , condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3) so that I could experience deliverance, holiness and divine love.
I think that God would say that it is about me.

______________________________________

Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, (Grand Rapids: 2002), p. 17. It’s Not About Me by Max Lucado (Integrity: 2004).

by Dr. Gayle Woods

 Some people would say that not knowing your net worth is the number one mistake in the management of money. What do we mean when we speak of a person’s “net worth”? Simply defined, new worth is the total assets minus total liabilities of an individual or company. Your net worth is your financial bottom line. Net worth has implications for other aspects of our lives as well. Many consider their net worth to be determined by how well they are accepted by people that they consider to be of importance. Others look at their achievements to determine their net worth. They point to their trophies, their letters of recognition or the degrees hanging on their wall. The more materialistic individuals determine their net worth by the value of their house, the neighborhood in which they live, the job they have, the amount they have placed in mutual funds or other money making ventures. The intellectually elite believe their net worth is based on their mental prowess. Are these methods of judging net worth sound? How do we really discover our net worth? According to the secular worldview net worth is based on possessions. No stuff = no net worth. When God’s vantage point is considered, however, we discover that ultimately stuff does not matter. Jesus said in Matt 16:26, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV) God sees our worth even when we reject Him. Our asset lies in the understanding that we are created in His image. Our liability lies in the understanding that because of Adam’s sin that image has been marred. Our liability is compounded by the fact that we are not only inclined toward sin but that we daily pursue it. Because of this equation it would seem that we would have little value to God. Our net worth is little because of the tragedy of sin. And yet, we are of still of such value to Him that He was willing to take on the humiliation of becoming a human being. God’s love and mercy magnified our net worth. He saw enough value in each of us that He was willing to suffer death on a cross to provide us a way of escape from the clutches of sin. God looked upon us and saw what we could be if we would give our lives to Him. How do we increase our true net worth in life? Our net worth is not found in possessions, popularity, position or prestige. Increasing our net worth is only made possible through coming to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When the tarnish of sin which marred our natural image is polished from our lives by the benefit of the cross our ultimate value is seen in Him. We who were nothing are of great value for we have become conformed to the image of Christ. Without Him we have no purpose in life. Eph 2:10states that we especially fashioned by God for a special reason. Our value is in Him and His design for our lives. Life without Christ is meaningless. Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. NIV

By Dr. Gayle Woods