Don’t Be A Spiritual Understudy

I went to the broadway play Othello, because I wanted to see Denzel Washington performing his craft live. If I had gotten there and an understudy was in his place, I would have been very disappointed. Let’s use this as a spiritual analogy.

God created man in His image, so God’s glory would cover the globe. There is no one and nothing more interesting, glorious, splendid, able to save (words fall short) than the Lord God almighty. How gracious to spread THAT throughout the earth! When humans want to take the glory instead of giving it to God, they rob souls of seeing the incomparable One who saves and brings wisdom, joy, love, and peace!

When sin entered, man who was made in God’s image, began to take on the attributes of the enemy of our souls. THAT’s what has been spreading across the globe. It is happening because God, in His mercy, is proceeding with the plan to rescue through Jesus Christ.

Years ago a friend helped me to better discern with a question: Is it man-centered or God-centered? There are a lot of places still calling themselves churches, where God is not on display, man is. It’s all about you and what you want, and no longer about the Sovereign to whom all things belong. It may feel good in the moment, but it is actually robbing the sheep of the greatest show on earth when Christ is at center stage.

So let’s be sure we are living as vessels showcasing God’s glory, and not seeking our own. As awful as it is to arrive to find the known star has been replaced by an understudy, humans taking the stage so that Christ is not seen is indescribably tragic!

“I am the LORD; that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to carved idols.”

Isaiah 42:8