November's devotion
Reading: Luke Chapter 2: 8 – 20, 41 – 51.
A few days ago I read an article in a newspaper, it was written by one of my favorite writer who usually write articles about wisdom. The title was ‘Berbahagia Menjadi Nomor Dua’, (happy or satisfied to be the number two). I was struck by this title, because since I was small I was so used to the message from teachers or adults around me saying that we should strive to be the number one. Being the number one means that we are better than other people who are competing against us. So why should we feel content by being the number two? We should be the number one to get people’s recognition.
I guess most of us are used to this kind of message because they’re around us so much. And this is the world that we are living in. In working place, in school, in business, even in church… this world tells you that you are great if you can be the number one. So you have to compete to reach the top position. Sometimes, the road that you take in order to win something is not that important anymore, as long as you win. For some people, it doesn’t matter if you hurt others, because that’s what competition is all about, you can’t avoid it, as long as you can get to the center stage. That’s how the world defines greatness.
But in the article that I read, the writer argues that the genuine greatness is when you actually willing to be the number two. You are great when you have done much, you have contributed a lot, but you are OK by staying in the back stage. You let others to gain the credits because you are not seeking people’s recognition. And when you are humble enough to do that, it means that you are able to defeat your ego that tells you that you have to be the hero. When you are happy to be the number two, that means you can accept that there is someone who is better than you in something, and this requires greatness.
In today’s reading I learn something that relates to this from Mary. Imagine, the shepherds come from a place that is far just to meet them and worship her baby. And these shepherds said that angels spoke to them, saying that her baby is Christ the Lord, the Savior who came from the highest heaven! When the shepherds told her about this, look in verse 18, it is said that all were amazed! This is a miracle. But look at the way Mary respond, verse 19: ‘Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them’. In another translation, it is said that Mary keeps all things in her heart. She did not brag upon the fact that it was her who carried the baby for 9 months. She did not say to the shepherds ‘look, the baby that you are worshipping right now is my baby. Out of all women here on earth it is I who was chosen to be his earthly mother.’ She did not try to look heroic in front of the shepherds; she did not try to gain credit for all of her contribution. She let Jesus to be in the center stage, she did not try to steal Jesus’ popularity, and she didn’t want to get the shepherd’s credits and praise. She just keeps quite, humbly keep the great things that is currently happening in her heart.
Same thing happened again when Jesus was bigger. One day Mary and Joseph took the boy Jesus to a festival. When the festival was over they started to go back home but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. They have traveled a whole day already when they finally realized that Jesus was not in the group. After three days in search for Jesus, they found him in the temple, sitting with adults, Jewish teachers, intelligent people… and Jesus was having discussion with them, just like adults. And mind you, only adults who are intelligent enough are able to discuss something with the teachers… So as Jesus parents, they must be really proud to see that their kid is able to do something that they were not able to do, in such a young age. But how did Mary respond to this? In verse 51, it is stated that ‘His mother (Mary) treasured all these things in her heart’. She did not say, hey look, he’s my boy, and I raised him to be this intelligent or things like that. Again, despite of her great contribution by raising Jesus she did not say anything, she’s willing to be at the back stage, and she’s even willing to be forgotten. She realized that the center of attention should be on Jesus, and not on her. She knows what her part is.
Sometimes, we work so hard on something, but we didn’t get the credit for it because maybe we are working on the back stage. It’s like in the movie, people usually only recognized the actor/actrees. People said oh this actor plays good, but they forgot that there’s a director who directed the actor, there’s this camera men who work hard to get the best angle of the actor, and there’s the editor who cut all the bad shots of the actor.
A few days ago I read an article in a newspaper, it was written by one of my favorite writer who usually write articles about wisdom. The title was ‘Berbahagia Menjadi Nomor Dua’, (happy or satisfied to be the number two). I was struck by this title, because since I was small I was so used to the message from teachers or adults around me saying that we should strive to be the number one. Being the number one means that we are better than other people who are competing against us. So why should we feel content by being the number two? We should be the number one to get people’s recognition.
I guess most of us are used to this kind of message because they’re around us so much. And this is the world that we are living in. In working place, in school, in business, even in church… this world tells you that you are great if you can be the number one. So you have to compete to reach the top position. Sometimes, the road that you take in order to win something is not that important anymore, as long as you win. For some people, it doesn’t matter if you hurt others, because that’s what competition is all about, you can’t avoid it, as long as you can get to the center stage. That’s how the world defines greatness.
But in the article that I read, the writer argues that the genuine greatness is when you actually willing to be the number two. You are great when you have done much, you have contributed a lot, but you are OK by staying in the back stage. You let others to gain the credits because you are not seeking people’s recognition. And when you are humble enough to do that, it means that you are able to defeat your ego that tells you that you have to be the hero. When you are happy to be the number two, that means you can accept that there is someone who is better than you in something, and this requires greatness.
In today’s reading I learn something that relates to this from Mary. Imagine, the shepherds come from a place that is far just to meet them and worship her baby. And these shepherds said that angels spoke to them, saying that her baby is Christ the Lord, the Savior who came from the highest heaven! When the shepherds told her about this, look in verse 18, it is said that all were amazed! This is a miracle. But look at the way Mary respond, verse 19: ‘Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them’. In another translation, it is said that Mary keeps all things in her heart. She did not brag upon the fact that it was her who carried the baby for 9 months. She did not say to the shepherds ‘look, the baby that you are worshipping right now is my baby. Out of all women here on earth it is I who was chosen to be his earthly mother.’ She did not try to look heroic in front of the shepherds; she did not try to gain credit for all of her contribution. She let Jesus to be in the center stage, she did not try to steal Jesus’ popularity, and she didn’t want to get the shepherd’s credits and praise. She just keeps quite, humbly keep the great things that is currently happening in her heart.
Same thing happened again when Jesus was bigger. One day Mary and Joseph took the boy Jesus to a festival. When the festival was over they started to go back home but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. They have traveled a whole day already when they finally realized that Jesus was not in the group. After three days in search for Jesus, they found him in the temple, sitting with adults, Jewish teachers, intelligent people… and Jesus was having discussion with them, just like adults. And mind you, only adults who are intelligent enough are able to discuss something with the teachers… So as Jesus parents, they must be really proud to see that their kid is able to do something that they were not able to do, in such a young age. But how did Mary respond to this? In verse 51, it is stated that ‘His mother (Mary) treasured all these things in her heart’. She did not say, hey look, he’s my boy, and I raised him to be this intelligent or things like that. Again, despite of her great contribution by raising Jesus she did not say anything, she’s willing to be at the back stage, and she’s even willing to be forgotten. She realized that the center of attention should be on Jesus, and not on her. She knows what her part is.
Sometimes, we work so hard on something, but we didn’t get the credit for it because maybe we are working on the back stage. It’s like in the movie, people usually only recognized the actor/actrees. People said oh this actor plays good, but they forgot that there’s a director who directed the actor, there’s this camera men who work hard to get the best angle of the actor, and there’s the editor who cut all the bad shots of the actor.
What if in your working place, or in your church, you are working in the back stage as well, and you don’t get much attention or credit for things that you are doing? Will you feel upset? Or will you be like Mary, who keeps all things in her heart, knowing that God knows what she has done and appreciating it?
1 comment:
That seems like a really interesting article. It does seem 'better' to be the humble 2nd one. :)
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