Take the Low Place
“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:8-11
But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Matthew 19:30
and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” Luke 9:48
When we are invited out, do we try to center attention on our own person? Do we take the best place - the most prestigious position?
There are numerous verses in the Scriptures on the need to be humble; on how we ought to be putting others ahead of self. We are to be selfless and not selfish.
If we are raising ourselves up on a pedestal, it will come crashing down and we will be humbled. When we strive to show how great we are, we will end up with little. Those who desire to be at the front of the line will be sent to the back.
To please God we need to be humble and lowly. When we act like little children and run to our Father in heaven - not striving to be the best in the eyes of the world but the best in the eyes of the Lord - we will be pleasing to God.
We won’t be seeking the attention of men and exalting ourselves, but we will be humbly following Christ, seeking the attention and approval of God. In the last day, those who have acted humbly and obediently for the Lord will indeed be exalted. Those who sought exaltation from those of this world will be humbled - they have already received their reward (Matthew 6:2).
-- John Thrower Jr.