First place

“So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.” (Mark 9:45)

First place - so many strive for the top marks, top awards, top positions. "TOP" - dominant, elite, preeminent, primary, leading, and principal. Thinking upon that one, any time we put ourselves as 'preeminent' or the 'primary leader' in our lives, we are bound to know some form of failure. Why? We aren't meant to assume that position - especially when we invite Christ into our lives. That is his position, not ours.

First place - found by taking last place. That seems to be a bit of a conundrum, doesn't it? The one who wants first place is usually negotiating, repositioning, finding that edge. The racer will look for the tiniest of openings and take it. The company climber will look for the edge that makes their skills unique or in demand. The one who wants their way will use all manner of clever manipulation or negotiation to get it. The one who follows Christ is reminded that all these tactics for 'getting ahead' in our spiritual life isn't found by any of these means, but rather by laying down one's own agenda and letting Christ take the lead.

We cannot find what we desire until we are willing to step out of "first place" in our lives. We aren't intended to lead - Christ is the one who knows where to take us, how to help us overcome those hurts and hangups. We might attempt to 'retake' the lead from time to time, but as soon as we recognize that we have slipped into 'first place' again, we might want to take our foot of the gas! We aren't going to do well leading our lives. We will find some way to mess it up - trust me on that one!

Take the last place. Look at those words closely. It is an active choice and decision to move from lead to last place. We choose that position over all others, for in doing so, we allow Christ to move forward into the place he alone should hold. I know for a fact that when he leads, I actually see my life 'moving forward' at a pace I could never have accomplished on my own. How about you? Do you see things differently when he is truly in first place in your life? Perhaps he has never truthfully held that position - today is an excellent day to allow that transition to occur! Just sayin!