NO OTHER FOUNDATION

As I write this page, my daughter is giving her first big speech in front of her classmates. That reminded me of my Junior year of High School when I was elected our class Vice President. The role didn’t require much on my end. We met occasionally to make minor decisions, most of which I don’t recall. The class President told me that there was one important job responsibility my role required- to give a speech at prom.

I thought, “No problem.” I spoke regularly at our local church and in front of our English class. I wrote out my speech, practiced it a few times and I was ready to go.

The night of prom came and I had fun enjoying time with my classmates and the seniors that would soon be headed off to college. Then, it was time for my speech. I looked around the room, where was the podium? There wasn’t one. There was a lonely microphone stand in the middle of the room. My thought was, “Okay, that’s different. I’ll just go with the flow.” I pulled my speech out of my pocket and looked around the room. The room was dark. The spotlight was on me. Everyone was quiet. Their eyes were all staring at me. I felt my heart begin to race. My hands grew sweaty. I looked down at my paper. “I would like to thank….” I began to read, but I couldn’t manage anything else. My hands were visibly shaking so much that I couldn’t read my notes. I looked up and saw a few in the crowd begin to laugh. I folded up my speech, put it in my pocket, and recited the parts I could remember as quickly as possible and left the stage. The rest of my night was ruined. I had embarrassed myself in front of my peers. I was so mad at myself.

So What If You Embarrass Yourself?

Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience in your past. Some of the effects from that night still linger today. I took a speaking a speaking class in college. As an adult, I’ve participated in Toastmasters groups. When I get an opportunity to speak I like to know all the details leading up. I go early to see the schedule. I walk on the stage and look at the room envisioning what it will look like filled with people. I find out if I will be speaking with a podium or free roaming. Will I have a lapel mic or a handheld? I bring a water bottle in case my throat gets dry. After I finish, I analyze how I did. What could I have done better? What do I need to work on? The fear of making a mistake and embarrassing myself is still there.

I embarrassed myself, so what? I bumped into one of those seniors a number of years later and he brought up, “Remember when….” Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Then I learned he himself suffered from major anxiety. What I learned about myself that day is that I was more concerned with what everyone else in that room thought about me rather than what the One in the room thought about me.

On one occasion, Jesus was eating dinner with His disciples when a woman entered the room, broke the top off a jar of expensive perfume, and anointed Jesus’ head. The smell of the perfume filled the room. Those at the dinner became angry at the woman and her act. Perhaps they even laughed at her. Their outrage was due to the fact that perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. In the moment, I wonder if the woman was at all embarrassed. The others may have scorned her, but Jesus was pleased. Read His response in Mark 14:6-9 (ESV):

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

In Whom Does Your Worth Rest?

Where do you find your worth? Is your worth found in what others think about you? You know, we will all be forgotten in just a few generations. My dad is fond of his grandfather and has told me many stories about him. But I did not have a relationship with Hal Beeman Yates. I know absolutely nothing about his father. In just a few generations, those who were so important to their loved ones are now forgotten. The same will be true for you and me. Instead of finding our worth in others, most of whom don’t even love us, we should find our worth in God.

This woman walked into the room and saw Jesus. In Him, she had found her worth. She was more concerned about the One in the room than the others. She decided in her heart that it was worth the cost of embarrassing herself for Christ. She valued Jesus more than anyone else at the dinner party. Her worth was in Jesus, and He honored her for her actions. Jesus was the love in her heart.

Contrast this with Judas. He was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. After Jesus’ rebuke, Judas decides he’s had enough. Mark tells of Judas’ response:

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Mark 14:10-11)

Judas found his worth in others and money. The apostle John tells us that Judas used to regularly steal money from the group. Jesus was not the Messiah that HE (Judas) wanted. Because of what he valued, Judas decided to betray Jesus. Hate and greed filled Judas’ heart.

I’ve embarrassed myself numerous times since my high school speech. I’ve told people, “If I haven’t done something or said something stupid yet, stick around, it’s coming.” However, I’m a little more mature than I used to be. I know my worth is in Christ. Where is your worth? Count the cost. If you get the opportunity to embarrass yourself for the sake of Christ, don’t hesitate at the opportunity. Some may ridicule you, but Jesus will bless you. Good luck on your speech today Autumn! Know that your worth in Christ is great, no matter the outcome.