I Am Third

 

I get aggravated at aggressive, dangerous drivers. They recklessly swerve in and out at high speed, cutting off other drivers and putting them and others at risk for an accident. And for what? Many times I see them just ahead of me in traffic several miles down the road. I’ve often wanted to ask them, “What are you going to do with the extra 2 or 3 minutes you saved by driving like an idiot?”

 

Unless you’re one of those people (and you know who you are), you’re probably saying “Amen!” right now. The truth of the matter is, though, that many of us, myself included, behave in a similar fashion in other areas of our lives. We may be aggressively pursuing more money, a better job, a bigger house, a new car, or any one of a number of other worldly things without giving any thought to the consequences to ourselves and those around us. Whenever we focus on what we want without consideration of what God wants or how it affects others, we find ourselves on a slippery slope that draws us away from God and leads us into pride, greed, and other undesirable behaviors.

 

Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest. He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ “ (Matthew 22:37-38). At another time Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

 

“I Am Third”, meaning that God is first and others are second, was popularized after Gayle Sayers made it the title of his autobiography. It’s amazing how much truth is packed into those three little words. We can put our whole lives up to the light it gives off and see where we are in our Christian walk. Do the choices we make honor God and serve others? Do we even think about them? Is it always “me first”, outwardly or in the back of our minds?

 

Let’s live out “I Am Third” in every aspect of our lives each day.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.