When was the last time you asked your employer to reduce your wages? Or when did you trade your brand new vehicle for an old car? Our world is focused upward rather than downward. The goal is to climb up in position, wealth and power.

Even as Christians our gaze is often fixed upward. God is "up there." We emphasize increasing rather than decreasing. This is wonderful in many areas of our lives, such as holiness, giving and prayer. However, sometimes our sights are set so high that much of God's greatest work flies under our radar.

Jesus rebukes the disciples for turning a group of children away from Him. These men had, in their minds, successfully climbed the ladder and reached a position near the inner circle of Jesus. However, Jesus changes their perception and asks them to drop their gaze a bit to see God's greatest affection.

Scripture repeatedly emphasizes God's love and special concern for the lowly, the humble, the marginal . . . those who have nothing to give but who readily accept God's grace as a gift in their lives.  This should affect not only the way we perceive those whom the world considers insignificant, it should also affect the way we view ourselves.

Being a Christian involves both looking up and looking down.