THE VALUE OF A ZERO

 

Recently, I watched the tirade of a well-known Word of Faith preacher attempting to bring the coronavirus to an end. Realizing the threat of this pandemic to his ministry’s pursuit of health and prosperity, he yelled to the heavens at the top of his voice, “I demand a vaccination!” 

 

At first, I was both amused and appalled. But then it occurred to me that this man’s tantrum was the essence of my own flesh, which craves comfort and constantly demands for my will to be done – whether I shout at the heavens or not.

 

Our Savior Jesus Christ came to give us a radically different approach to life and to our heavenly father. We no longer have to strive to obtain our own ambitions and selfish agenda, but we can approach God and our fellow man with genuine humility and selflessness. That is true biblical freedom! 

 

Have you ever considered the vast difference between the numbers 1 and 0? Even though they’re right next to each other, it’s a huge chasm. Much more than the gap between 1 and 2, or any other number for that matter. For you’re dealing with the difference between nothing and something.

 

Now ask yourself: has God called you to be a number 1 – declaring and commanding prosperity and whatever else is in accordance with your will? Much of the church world might say yes, and my flesh would agree – “I am Somebody and I deserve the best this life has to offer!” But the Word of God clearly says we are not to be number one in our own hearts. And we must not allow even those who are closest to us to keep us from following Jesus:

 

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38).

 

Clearly, Jesus Christ must hold the number one place as Lord of our lives, or we are not worthy of him. I think everyone of us who have been born again would agree with that, though it can be very challenging to maintain that perspective. Stick with me, and I hope it will become a little easier! 

 

If Jesus Christ has the preeminence in our lives, where does this leave you and me? Are we second, or third, or some other place? Or should our goal be to become a zero? If we’re honest, the thought of becoming a big fat “0”  is an absolute offense to our flesh.  But is this not what Jesus requires of his disciples in Matthew 10:39? “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”.

 

In God’s kingdom, the difference between being number one and a zero is the difference between being lost and being found.  It’s as opposite as going to heaven or going to hell, and is as far apart as the east is from the west. And yet a sinner can go from being lost to being found in an instant, just as we can repent of taking first place in life and give it back to Jesus Christ in a moment.

 

Now that I follow Christ, my goal in life is not merely to be number two, or even third after my fellow man. I find that kind of attempt at humility to be a subjective path where my flesh will constantly deceive me. It’s so much simpler to take the road of the cross, where I deny myself, die to this world, and become a contented “zero” .

 

If you and I learn how to take our position as zeroes in this world, we need not fear that our lives will be miserable or worthless. The apostle Paul embodied this understanding, considering himself “nothing”, “the least of the saints”, and “the chief of sinners” (2 Cor 12:11, Eph. 3:8, I Tim. 1:15). Yet look at the ministry God was able to entrust to this humble messenger of reconciliation and grace! 

 

When Jesus is number one in my life, even though I am nothing, my zero begins to have value. Think of it:

0 – that’s me

1 – that’s Him

10 – that’s me following Him.

 

Suppose another zero joins me and we both follow Christ together. Now the value has exponentially increased:

100

 

Add another zero? You get another tenfold increase.

1000

 

What amazing potential a group of zeros can have! Though it is rare for Jesus to find such disciples, there is great value in those who “no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14). 

 

Just keep in mind, as soon as my zero moves from following Christ to stepping ahead of him, everything changes. 1000 becomes 0.100. (This works when writing checks too!) Move a zero, and the value increases or decreases exponentially.

 

The truth is, none of us are anything compared to God and his glory. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all just zeros quickly passing through this fallen world. But when we find our place in Christ and His eternal glory, there’s great joy and amazement that he would give himself for us.

 

Since we now have a heavenly father who has purchased us for himself and will provide all that we need, we can rest in being his child. We no longer have to live for ourselves, we no longer have to demand our own rights, we no longer have to worry what people think of us. I’m just a zero after all. But I’m a zero following the Great I Am!

 

For years, many of us have sung the words “I am nothing, I am nothing…without you” – in other words, we are empty vessels with nothing of eternal value unless Christ fills us and becomes number one our lives. I pray these won’t just be words that we say or sing, but a reality from which we are set free to take up the cross, deny ourselves and follow him. In losing our own lives, Jesus promises we gain everything.

 

Charles Burks

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