Psalm 67 – Me Church

Several years ago I had some conflict with another person on my leadership team. To be honest with you, it was a really tough time. While it wasn’t about something that was intended towards them, they took it personally. I found myself really struggling with wanting them to see that it wasn’t about them, and if they could just see that, we could both get over it. All along I was asking God for His blessing and favor for myself. It wasn’t until God told me, “Brandon, this isn’t about you either”, that I started to realize that I had taken something that was supposed to be about Him and was making it about me.

We’re a pretty selfish people. It's our nature… which makes it hard to put others first. It’s also the thing that makes it hard to put God first. This is a big problem in the Church. Most of the time we don’t even realize when we’re doing it. Selfishness causes much strife and tension. When we make it about us, our agenda and our comfort, instead of Him and others, we are simply going and pointing others in the wrong direction. We make it “Me Church” instead of “His Church”. This is what I thought about when I read Psalm 67:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us (Selah) that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” – Psalm 67:1-2

David is praying for God’s graciousness, His blessing, and His favor. This is a good thing. The difference between what David was saying and what we typically pray for is found in verse 2: “That YOUR ways may be known”.

Father, we desire your grace, blessing, and favor. Of course we do. Teach us to desire it not for our name to be known, but for yours to be known, and that others might come to know you as well. Amen.