The Best News Ever: You’re the Worst Person in the WorldSample

The world says, “Just do you!” and the Bible says, “It is not I, but Christ.” The world says, “Change your life and take charge.” God says, “Lose your life and take up your cross.” Our culture says, “You are the way to the life of your dreams.”

Jesus says, “You are the worst, and I am the way, but I love you, and I have dreams you haven’t even thought of yet.”

It’s a weird thing—being a Christian today (and probably any other day). Every moment, you can either hit your knees and depend on God and make the hard, humble choice of submitting to the Bible that will convict you and lead you to do uncomfortable things for the Kingdom, or you can try to “be good” by yourself. Only one way tells you that left to yourself you really are the worst—and yet, oddly enough, that’s the only way it works. So, thank you, Jesus. You’re the worst person in the world.

I want to remind myself and remind you that believing we are the worst and remembering Jesus is the best can—strange as it sounds—help us be free and full of joy. When we are poor, Jesus can make us rich.

Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Weirdly and wonderfully, believing the reality that we are poor in spirit leads us back to the life we were made for. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Jesus, God in human flesh, came into the world and fulfilled the law. HE lived it out perfectly. HE paid the price for all the rule-breaking we do. HE humbled Himself and went to the cross. HE made a way for us to be restored as friends of God, reversing the brokenness that existed since the days of Adam and Eve. HE is the One who is highly exalted. HE is the One all will bow before.

It’s not up to us to DO LIFE RIGHT. We can’t. You can’t. Please believe me; you can’t do life right. It’s too hard, there’s too much, and we’re too weak. What we have to get right is recognizing Who is worthy of worship. As much as we want to lay our heads on pillows reassuring ourselves that we’re “doing the best we can,” peace with God actually comes from being reassured by the opposite of that.

If I’m being honest with myself right now, I’m not doing the best I can.

I looked at my phone too much today.

I thought about spending money on stuff I want but don’t need, too much today.

I took actions in an effort to make myself comfortable, rather than taking actions to comfort others today.

And today was one of my better days.

I did most of the stuff that makes me feel like I’m good and avoided most of the stuff that makes me feel like I’m bad. But, under the surface, I know. Under the surface, I crave to be recognized and admired, and thought highly of more than I crave to serve and love. I need a better way. I need Jesus.

Thank God, I have Him.