Esther 6:10, "'Excellent!' the king said to Haman. 'Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!'"
Great! Haman's worst enemy is the very person whom the king wants to honor. Talk about being humbled! Haman thought that surely the king would want to honor him of all people. He was wrong, though. Someone else got the recognition and reward that Haman so desperately wanted.
I've found myself at times being humbled. At moments where I thought that I'd done such a good job, it turned out someone else had done better, I was humbled. I tied for second place...
We want to be the first, yet God says that those who want to be exalted must humble themselves. He says that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted.
I've seen God lift me up, and I've seen God humble me! Trust me, I'd rather humble myself!
We're told all throughout the Bible to do to others as we'd want them to do for us. Haman surely gave the king a wonderful idea for what to do for someone whom he wanted to honor. Why? Because he told the king what he'd want to be done for him.
As I look at my life, do I really do for others as I'd want them to do for me? Or do I spend my life trying to lift myself up? Am I reaching out to people because that's what I'd want them to do for me, or am I reaching out to people to fill a need I have in my own life? Am I going places because that's where God wants me, or am I going there because that's what I desire?
We're all called to a bigger life than the life of "me, myself, and I". That life is small! We were called to the abundant life of, "do unto others."
One thing that I've been challenged to learn this year is rejoicing with people who get what you've been believing for for years. When you can't have a baby, and someone you know announces that they're pregnant, you're put in a place of needing to choose whether to rejoice or to be jealous. Just the other day a good friend to my mom and me came over and shared the wonderful news that she was engaged. I must admit that I had jealousy seep into me for a time. I was happy for her, but that is the blessing I've been waiting for for years, and it was her reality while still being my hope.
The true question isn't what we do when we get our breakthrough. The true test comes in when we are faced with a situation of rejoicing when someone else gets what we want.
So, we're faced with a choice: will we live a small life of "me, myself, and I", or will we live the abundant life of "do unto others"?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Our true character is shown in the times that others get what we want. I recognized this week that I still have some character traits that need some tending. Lord, I don't want to be jealous of what others have. I want to rejoice with them in their moments of blessing! Please, forgive me for living in the small "me, myself, and I" world. Help me expand my life into the abundant life of "do unto others". In Jesus Name.
Amen.
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