Henry Ward Beecher was a famous preacher. Once he was unable to keep a preaching promise and another minister took his place. As this man waited to preach, he noticed listeners starting to leave. So he stood and said to the audience “All who came to worship Henry Ward Beecher may now leave. All who came to worship God, keep your seats!” Today, some people do worship the minister, not God. Yet God wants us to worship him only—not the minister, not self, nor others. We are urged to draw near to Christ and view others as God sees them. But doing that in our world today would be revolutionary—some would say impossible. But here is what we read in 2 Corinthians Ch. 5, Christ “died for everyone so those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” This means anyone who truly belongs to Christ is a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! Christ in us gives us a different view of others. Of course we are not perfect, but we should be growing toward selflessness. That’s is our Lord’s goal for us.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
