Jesus Shall Take the Highest Honor (Reflection 1)

So true. Only one name deserves the highest honor. Before I go into the emotional rhetoric of why, there is the very personal and practical aspect. Namely, all of us were made to worship something; to base our lives on something.

During this trip, one of things I learned and re-learned was that only Jesus deserves the highest honor. He is the only one worth worshiping and it really is all about Him. It is not foolishness to dedicate your life to the one who paid it all. This may be emotional right now, but I am also writing this to "remember in the valley what I learned on the peak."

Part of this lesson came from being humbled. There's nothing I could teach the people here, they knew (experientially) far more than me - it was I who was blessed. But yet, it's really not about that - as important as it is for us to know God and His word. All of our work, no matter how noble, must be done in the spirit of bringing Jesus glory. Not me - that cannot be the concern. If it is, then I can only be satisfied when my actions bring about results. If it isn't, then it's more than OK if only one of my words made any positive impact. As my dad says, your life's work may only win one convert for Christ - but he/she may turn out to be the next Billy Graham. In the end, it's not about the results, it's about His glory. Because... Jesus shall take the Highest honor.

In the end, He will receive all the glory. He will be known on every tongue and tribe as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He will restore nations and peoples, and once and for all, destroy sin and its effects: poverty, child exploitation, bad governments, etc. What a privilege it is for us to be co-laborers with him. How foolish for us to think we are needed to "bring something to the table." How beautiful it is for believers of every tribe and tongue to worship God, regardless of background, color, or anything else.

The gospel is really the power of God for the salvation of many. Too many times (in the "West"), we diminish the power of its message by making excuses for it or over pop-culturing it. I'm speaking for myself. But the message of Jesus dying for our sins to reconcile us to God does not need to be excused for. It is the power of God for the salvation of many. Will share more later.

So, this is my first thought. I've really been humbled on this trip. There's not much (on paper) that I could bring to the table... All I could do was learn. But that's ok. God is more interested with what we are becoming, than what we can bring. Likewise, we are most satisfied when we are living for the one thing that deserves the highest honor. Everything else gives a taste, but no where near satisfies. I've been so challenged by the brothers here (both on the team and local Christians), who sacrifice so much because of Christ.

It's awe inspiring to see how much they give up, how much they press in and how much they rejoice in ministry. The songs they worship with often reflect on the glory, honor and power of Christ - for very obvious reasons. He is their sustenance, as He is ours. He is their stronghold, as He is ours. He deserves the highest praise - from me, from the Nepali Christians and from all the earth.