Look at Something Bigger

Some folks have a rather inflated view of themselves.  There is a story about a young woman who went out for dinner on a first date. The young man had a very high opinion of himself and spent almost an hour talking non-stop about all his outstanding qualities. Finally, after he bragged that he was the product of an outstanding family that could trace its roots to royalty, the young woman had enough. “Wow, that’s impressive!” she exclaimed. “I bet your great-grandfather was King Kong!”

Friends, sometimes the blunt words of another person can deflate an enlarged ego and bring it down to a much better size. The best way to avoid getting too caught up with ourselves and becoming arrogant is to focus on something bigger than we are.

A wealthy and famous actress went to see a psychiatrist.  During the first interview he said, “Now, tell me about yourself.” The woman needed no second invitation and proceeded to describe in detail her many accomplishments. After she had gone on for an hour, the psychiatrist said, “That will do for now. I’ll see you again next week.”  Each session followed the same pattern. After twelve weeks the psychiatrist finally said, “Madam, I believe your chief problem is that you are too focused on yourself. My prescription for you is to hop in the car and drive to the Grand Canyon. When you arrive, take a long, lingering look at something which is a lot bigger than you are.”

Friends, those of us who struggle with pride and arrogance can find it very beneficial to look at something that is a lot bigger than we are. Those of us who are Christians discover there is really no room for pride in our lives when we catch even a glimpse of the glory of God which is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist, a very successful and popular preacher, met the Lord Jesus, his pride melted.  Speaking of Jesus, John said in John 1:27, “I am not good enough to untie the strings of his sandals.” Saul of Tarsus was a brilliant man with a great deal of confidence in his own wisdom and abilities. He was convinced that those who did not see things his way did not even deserve to live.  Then he met Jesus, became Paul the Apostle and said, in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” Paul understood that all his abilities and successes were because of God’s grace. Thus, they were not reasons to boast or be proud, but rather called for a response of humble gratitude.

A trip to the Grand Canyon or looking at the stars in the night sky can indeed remind us of our “smallness.” Even better, however, is to read the Bible and look at Jesus. If we catch even a glimpse of His glory and majesty, we see someone who is much bigger than we are. This can help us in many ways, especially if we want to be free from the trap of thinking the world revolves around us.