First Shall Be Last
The victory suddenly feels so hollow.
Reference: Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Luke 13:30 NIV)
Explore: Everything for my boys is a competition. Who gets to run the bath? Who gets to the car first? Who can jump on their scooter the highest? Who eats their dessert the quickest?
There are times when it’s good to be first. But my boys haven’t realised yet that it’s not always advantageous.
The boy who eats all of their lollies first feels like a winner to begin with but then they have to sit and watch the “loser” enjoy their lollies. The victory suddenly feels so hollow.
Application: There are times when I think we still act the same way as adults. We jostle and compete to be the fastest or the best only to discover that life is not necessarily better when we reach our goals.
When our aims and targets are only for things that benefit us on earth, we will always be left wanting. But when they have some eternal significance – either for us or for others – then the success takes on a whole other meaning.
The verse above from Luke 13 is a well known saying which is rarely acted out. When making decisions we need to consider the eternal consequences and not just the immediate results.
When we put this perspective on our actions and decision making our desire to come first on earth loses its power.
Prayer: Lord, may we live so all will know the crown we are competing for is with You in heaven. Amen.
What does the “first shall be last” verse mean to you?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.