Do you ever think about your back? I do. Well, not yours, but mine. I have an old man's back and if things aren't perfect back there, my day is rough. It causes pain, it wears me down, it causes me stress. The human back controls us, holds us up, brings us down, and the list goes on and on. Stress tightens it. Relaxation releases it. It is truly a marvelous, yet sensitive part of the human body.
But have you ever considered your back in your spiritual walk. I mean, as Christians, what do we often want our back to be used for? ........... a pat of course. We love to have our backs patted and we love to be made to feel good and we love to be recognized for our accomplishments. Who doesn't? I certainly don't think it is wrong to recognize people for their accomplishments, I certainly don't think it is wrong to celebrate our accomplishments, in fact I think it is Biblical to encourage and to lift up. BUT, have we as Christians grown too comfortable in our own achievements? We demand recognition. We design programs to honor ourselves and to celebrate ourselves, meanwhile billions of people still do not know Christ. We celebrate ourselves, while people starve within shouting distance of our churches.
And then comes the clincher. Look at the back of the one who we worship. This Passion week, if we look at the back of Jesus Christ, we should be reminded of a back that was bent over in service; a back that was bent over washing his disciples' nasty feet; a back that was whipped, beaten, and ripped into shreds; a back that was hung on a horrible cross. He never once looked for a pat on the back. All glory went to the father.
May I stop looking at myself, and look at Jesus Christ. May the church not celebrate itself, but celebrate its Savior.
