In 1969 Frank Sinatra released a song called “My Way”. It became the class song for the 1970 graduates of the high school I attended. The title sums up the overall theme of the song—I lived my life my way. Period.
The last verse shares a theme that endures in the world to this day:
“For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he
has naught!
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one
who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way.”
We have been bombarded with this way of thinking through commercials (“Twix! Two for me; none for you!”), self-help books (like Nancy Levin’s Permission to Put Yourself First), social media posts (the list is endless), and the lyrics of countless songs since “My Way” first hit the charts. Life is all about me, me, me!
That’s not how Jesus lived! That’s not what the Bible teaches! That’s not what God expects of His children!
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah said, “But because of our sins, He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the blows He received.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Bible.com tells us that “Micah 6:8 is a clear, crisp, and simple summary of what God expects from you and me: justice, kindness, and humility. To act justly is to treat people fairly and respectfully. To show kindness is to help the poor, the downtrodden, and the hurting. The third requirement is humility. A person who walks humbly thinks, “It’s not about me.”
None of these scriptures speak of doing life your own way. They all encourage self-sacrifice. “My Way” is not God’s way. Let us, as Christians, be the first to accept “it’s not about me!”
Be encouraged!
