Christ Kept in Second Place

This passage warns of the danger of the pride that puts God in second place, and asks what true humility is. For a king to think he can live without God is pride, and the mistaken belief that we will do well enough without God is what pushes God to the back. When we pray, we must live out with our lives the confession that we cannot live without God, and this is the attitude of seeking God with the lamp of faith in the darkness of the world.

When Christ opens his arms to embrace us, we cannot let go of the sword we have taken up to protect ourselves from wolves. This is a choice to put our own safety and interests ahead of God, and in the end it pulls us out of God's embrace. Like the hardship of a small child who does not see the bicycle coming and fails to take his father's hand, and so has to be scooped up by force, God wants us to throw away worldly greed and honor and come to the Lord. When we let go of that sword, God sets us down safely and gives us a sharper sword.

When, in our places of devotion, whether singing in the choir or serving in our own roles, we do not treat God as first but put worldly matters or our own convenience first, we are putting God in second place. God wants the sincere voice of each individual more than the praise of the whole group, and he wants our devotion to be acknowledged by him. Yet we can put our own feelings first, treat God carelessly, and fail to obey. Even though God has forgiven us in love and given us life, we are still swayed by the world's temptations and fail to follow him. Worshiping God in first place, obeying his commands, and devoting ourselves to him: is this the true life of faith, and what choice are we making now?