Have you ever wondered if we put the accent on the wrong sy-lla-ble? Do we over focus on us, me, I? Of course we do! Our mindset, our frame of reference, our needs and wants, our understanding… all that begins with us/me/I. But while we are the focus from which we react and interact with our world, we aren’t, or shouldn’t be, the foundation. We aren’t our creator. And many times that’s precisely how we act.
We really need to refocus on our Creator God and what He wants for and from us. I don’t think it takes much knowledge of scripture to observe that the spiritual emphasis is fully on us. Is this good? It is a given, but isn’t there much more? Isn’t it equally important to recognize and respond to this state with our own commitment? And we also need to remember that this is never a one and done. We are always in the state of becoming… becoming who we are doing what we do. Always recognize that we are a ‘work in progress’.
Personally, I think that what got Solomon into his ‘vanity of vanities’ statement and condition was looking inward – at himself, what he did, what was relevant to him. After beginning with God, he went to other places. Do we do the same? Realizing that we are God’s focus do we take it for granted and not value it? I remember an admonition from Paul that we shouldn’t, having once begun in the spirit, turn to the carnal (Galatians 3:3). Does that describe how we are? It is always the temptation.
However, once we step back and reassess, we can change. We can put the accent on the right syllable and that is the best way to put the accent in the proper context in relation to ourselves. It really isn’t an either/or situation because we always will look at our world from our perspective but we can enlarge our vision and allow the Lord to work in this. The result of putting the Lord in the proper position is that then we are in the proper position.
