Advent Day 14: Read: Luke 14

In my Advent reading today, I read Richard Rohr’s daily meditation in “Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent”. He talked about the difference between managing and receiving life. Spiritual wealth does not come as a result of merit, organization, influence or position.

We grow spiritually by receiving. It is by emptying myself and allowing God to do what only he can do. He separates me from my own small self and fills me with himself.

In the reading for today, Jesus says the same thing. When we try to achieve greatness based on what we have or with our own perceived power and position, we end up empty.

There is an element of receiving that creates in me a sense of unimportance. To receive is to humbly let go of all that I might accomplish on my own, to cease striving and allow God to come and fill me with his presence. That is what I want – deeply at the core of my being.

And then, the nagging sense of my unimportance in that process threatens to undo me, sidetrack me. My small ego self screams to be recognized and applauded; appreciated for my efforts to accomplish good in the world, to be noticed. I fear not only being anonymous, but ineffective.

Perhaps this is only my struggle. But I was challenged today that the only good I will do in the world is by being open and vulnerable to receive the life God wants to give me through Jesus. It is by counting the cost, letting go of power and renown, embrace the willingness to be anonymous. It is in this that I will know life.