We need to remind ourselves that God made us to be first “human beings” not to be “human doings.” Unfortunately, we sometimes live as if our life is measured more by what we do than by realizing we are human beings made in the image of God for His glory. We are designed to do something, but that something is not ultimately the measure of our life. Our lives are measured by how God is glorified in the human being God has made us to be. Apostle Paul reminds one church that even in the ordinary things of life God can be glorified, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). As human beings we are valuable as God is glorified in and through us.
Some years back Harry Gray, then CEO of
United Technologies, wrote a piece entitled “How Important Are You?” which
appeared in the Wall Street Journal. It presented some analogies showing
how important each human being is in the grand scheme of life. Answering the
question he writes, “More than you
think. A rooster minus a hen equals no baby chicks. Kellogg minus a farmer equals
no corn flakes. If the nail factory closes, what good is the hammer factory? Paderewski’s
genius wouldn’t have amounted to much if the piano tuner hadn’t shown up. A
cracker maker will do better if there’s a cheesemaker. The most skillful surgeon
needs the ambulance driver who delivers the patient. Just as Rodgers needed
Hammerstein you need someone, and someone needs you.” God has made human beings
by His sovereign design so that they can contribute their part in the world to
bring glory to God.
Too often we go to extremes as we process
our lives. We may inflate who we are by what we do and become arrogant in our
estimation of our value and position in the world. The other extreme is equally
dangerous as we marginalize our value as we look at what we do and conclude, “I
am only a _______.” Such a view casts dispersions upon God’s plan and purposes
for which He has made us as human beings. The estimation causes us to
undervalue our worth in God’s sight, even wondering, “Why did God even bother
creating me?”
It is interesting that when we emphasize
our “human doings” a sister problem often arises. We can easily become envious
of what another does, and the green eye of jealousy keeps us from rejoicing in
how God is using someone else for His glory. Director Oliver Stone cautioned, “Never
underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy. Never
underestimate that.” Perhaps that is why the English poet Philip Bailey wrote,
“Envy's a coal [that] comes hissing hot from Hell.” When a human being focuses
upon the “human doing” a destructive result easily occurs. The definition of
envy Chuck Swindoll gives is right on target, “Envy is a painful and resentful
awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another… accompanied by a strong desire to
possess the same advantage. Envy wants to have what someone else possesses.” How
devastating that can be.
In Mark’s gospel (12:38-44) Jesus warns
the crowds to be careful of emphasizing our “human doings” rather than being
“human beings” that live to glorify God. The religious leaders of that day were
making a great show of their doings. They lived to put on a show for the people
to observe. Jesus said of them, “They like to walk around in flowing robes and
be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats
in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’
houses and for a show make lengthy prayers” (38-40). They lived to put on a
show that brought glory to themselves. It was all about doing and self-display.
In contrast to these displays, Jesus then
reports on a widow he observed. There were people making a great show of their
generosity as they deposited their money (41). But Jesus took note of a poor
widow who possibly made a disregarded deposit. It was a small gift in the eyes
of people (42), but enormous in Jesus’ estimation.
Being aware of all things he says, “Out of her poverty, [she] put in
everything—all she had to live on” (44). Jesus gave this evaluation, “This poor
widow has put more into the treasury than all the others” (43). What was Jesus
evaluating? He was not merely looking at her as a “human doing” but as a “human
being” that was living to glorify God with an act of worship.
Was she envious that others had more to give because they had a better station in life? It is unlikely. Her full focus was that she was able to glorify God with what God had given her as a human being made in the image of God. God wants us to stress the right things in life. We are more than what we do. We are the sum total of who God has made us to be as a human being designed to glorify Him.
