I think I was 7 when it happened. I was at school on recess. My friends and I were on the playground. I wanted desperately to play kickball but everyone else wanted to play soccer.
I said something to the effect that if we don’t play kickball I am not playing! They said “ok” and went off and played soccer without me!
That is when it happened to me. The first time I realized the world doesn’t revolve around me! It was a dark day, a red day, dreams were shattered…..well may that is too dramatic.
When did it happen to you? I promise I am not judging.
When most of us were born we were treated like the world revolved around us. Hungry? Yell and somebody brings food. Tired? Take a nap literally anywhere at any time. Want something? They will hand it to you.
We were set up and started out thinking it was all about us! Turns out it isn’t, hardly ever. Maybe even the times it should be about us it still isn’t.
Okay so I must live as though I am not the only important one. Most basic adults have figured this out but occasionally our inner highly trained preschooler makes sophisticated and cleverly disguised appearances. Even so there is still a world out there beyond me, bigger than me.
Have you ever had the experience of seeing someone create something amazing? The song they sing, the graphic they design, or even the company they build and think “that’s beyond me!”? Some of the wonder of life is seeing a creation, an accomplishment, or discovery that is beyond me, bigger than me. You walk away thinking, “I don’t know how they did that.”
It isn’t only the things we do. It also happens with who we are, or aren’t. I see it all the time in the people I meet who leave an impression. I have a friend I marvel at.
His name is Patrick. He is kind and generous, yet a strong man. He is thoughtful and always seems to know the right thing to say. I think he gets up in the morning smiling, he is always positive and encouraging. In short, he is many of the things I would like to be when I grow up.
Have you met one of these people? Someone who yes, they have flaws but they seem to overcome them without much trouble. People who are beyond you, bigger than you.
We all have something we wish we could improve, how we look, what we have, or who we want to be.
There is the me I am and the me I want to be.
What if we shifted our focus from me, to you? That change of focus could give you a fresh perspective on living beyond yourself.
Living a life beyond me is call to living in distinctive and powerful way.
Beyond Me is a bigger life. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He didn’t just say, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” He added, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). It’s as if He was saying, “You can’t have one without the other.” Our love for God is intricately connected to our love for others.
In today’s culture, where self-care and personal fulfillment are often emphasized (maybe overemphasized in some circles?), it’s easy to forget that our faith calls us to look outward. To see the needs of those around us and to respond. This is what it means to have a faith that’s bigger than just us.
Beyond Me is a generous life. Generosity isn’t just a nice thing to do—it’s a reflection of who we are called to be. The Bible is full of verses that speak to the power and importance of giving, as a joyful expression of our love for God and for others.
One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Isn’t that a beautiful image? Giving not out of obligation, but out of a genuine desire to bless others.
When we live generously, we are the ones who often end up feeling the most blessed. Jesus Himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
The same 7-year-old who had the not about me moment also started earning some lawn mowing money (I helped Dad). It wasn’t much, I think $2.50 a week. But my dad was adamant I give 10% or .25 cents to the church each week. He was going to build generosity into my life.
Donna and I did the same with our girls. They had plastic banks with three compartments. One was the save slot, one was the spend slot, and one was the give slot. They learned early about being generous.
So much so our family feels odd if we are not being generous. They joy level is lower, the angst level is higher when we aren’t living beyond us.
Beyond me is a legacy. As we grow older, we often start thinking about the legacy we want to leave behind. What do we want to be remembered for? What kind of impact do we want to have on the world?
Living an others-centered life, grounded in generosity and faith, is one of the greatest legacies you can leave. It’s not about the accolades or the successes, but about the lives touched and the love shared.
Think about the people who have made the biggest impact on your life. Chances are, it wasn’t their achievements or their wealth that left a mark on you, but their kindness, their generosity, and their love. That’s the kind of legacy we all have the opportunity to leave.
Be part of our Beyond Me sermon series. Together we are going to explore both the why and how when it comes to living a life Beyond Me.
This is going to be a powerful series for anyone who still hasn’t figured out a vision for their life. If you know someone who needs to hear what God says about a life well lived, bring them along.
In the meantime, take charge, and take action! You and your family can begin to think and live bigger today.
We developed a simple tool designed to help families develop their plan for generosity. We will text you a couple of questions every week for the next 4 weeks so you can together decide not only the vision for your family to live bigger but the steps to take vision to reality.
Click the button and start building your family's plan.
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