“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” — Galatians 6:14
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The pitcher stands in the center of the diamond and has more influence than anyone else on the outcome of a baseball game. At the same time, baseball is a team sport. The shortstop needs to make routine plays, the catcher should make sure the ball doesn’t get past him, and the relief pitcher needs to hold the lead established by the starter. In close games, pinch hitters often drive in the deciding runs.
Therefore, it is unwise to focus too much on one person. Everybody likes to be appreciated, but we mature when we don’t worry about getting attention. In fact, Jesus told Peter and John that they were baby Christians as long as they focused on themselves. When they matured, they put the spotlight on the Savior.
Jesus is the only One who gave sight to the blind. Bartimaeus knew only Christ had the power to heal his blindness. Therefore, he cried out to Jesus for help, and Jesus gave him sight. Though Bartimaeus was blind, he saw more than most of the religious leaders and sought healing from the One with infinite power. “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus’), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'” (Mark 10:46-47).
Occasionally, the apostle Paul gave testimonies about his conversion to Christ, but the majority of his messages focused on Christ and emphasized God’s work in his life. He did not spend all his time boasting about himself. He told everyone that he would still be going the wrong way if Jesus didn’t meet him on the Road to Damascus. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
When we teach or preach, it is a golden opportunity to share a glorious message about spiritual matters. We need to be careful to focus our words on Christ and not impede the Gospel by boring people with every detail of our lives. None of us are perfect, and Christ is the One who sets the standard for greatness. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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