Attention!

The first week here in Nashville, we were ready to jump in and start trying new churches. We wanted to get connected somehow, someway, somewhere. We decided to go with some friends to their church for our first shot. As we all walked through the doors together, there was already a familiar face. However, he wasn't familiar because I knew him, but because I knew of him. A well known band member and even solo artist. I had stars in my eyes and caught myself trying to spot him in other areas of the church as we settled in for service. I had to tell myself to stop. I've been known to tell other people “They're just a person,” and here I was acting as though this person was something more. I'm not sure what got into me.

It's hard here in Nashville to not get starry eyed when Michael W. Smith stands behind you at the airport, and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw live down the street and go to Starbucks, and Jamie Lynn Spears is in town visiting her lawyer once a month, and Taylor Swift just bought a condo downtown to sit in her window and write songs. I know I enjoy the 'celebrity encounter' just as much as the next person, but why? Just to tell a story? Who made them so important? Are they just as important in the kingdom of heaven? Would I be so excited if I ran into Matt Chandler? Or Rich Nathan? Or Andy McQuitty? Or Rick Warren? Or John Edlridge? I wouldn't be telling the truth if I tried to answer yes.

My parents work for a company that has blessed our family time and time again. In both of my parents positions in management, they have been allowed special privileges or given coveted gifts and it was often because of “who they knew”. As their daughter, I have been privileged to some of these things as well. Instead of taking it as a blessing from God through these people, I began to see things in the world's eyes: It's not what you know, but who you know.

There's been a conviction in my heart about my pride. I realize that practically my whole life I've been placing everyone on this scale of who is better than who, and who I want to be like, and who I don't want to be like, and so on and so on. I see myself better than some and less than others and this has caused me to work, not for Christ and with Thanksgiving, but to prove to people around me who I am and who I can be. It isn't very fulfilling.

The cool thing my eyes are opening to see is, I work for an upside down kingdom. I work for Christ and not the world... and the least of these is the greatest (Luke 9:48).

James 2:1-4 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? For instance, suppose someone comes into your synagogue dressed in fancy clothing and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor,” - well, doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?

So, who are you paying attention to?