Happy Birthday, America! As we think about the 250 years of history that have shaped this nation, we recognize that our story is still short compared with many countries around the world. Even so, Americans deeply value independence. We appreciate the power of the people, the ability to govern ourselves, and the freedom to make our own laws, regulations, and decisions.

There is nothing wrong with loving our country. Patriotism can be honorable and meaningful. But love for country can also develop into something unhealthy when it becomes centered only on self. If we are not careful, independence can become an excuse to make everything about us—our desires, our preferences, our rights, and our will. In that way, we begin to want “me in the middle” of everything.

When it comes to who we are and what we stand for, we often discover that “me” is already in the middle. It appears in our attitudes, our focus, our priorities, and the things we consider most important. The question is not whether we will be involved in our lives; of course we will. The question is whether self will rule the center, or whether God will.

With that in mind, let us consider five things that either already have “me” in the middle or need to have “me” in the middle in the right way.

Pride

Pride is one of the clearest examples of self sitting in the center. Pride says, “I can do this by myself. I know best. I do not need correction, help, or guidance.” Scripture warns against that attitude. Proverbs 16:18-19 teaches that pride goes before destruction and that a haughty spirit comes before a fall. If we believe we can succeed entirely on our own, we are already headed toward failure. True success requires humility before the Lord.

Pride also causes us to love the wrong things. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul describes people who are lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, disobedient, ungrateful, and without self-control. That is the attitude that says life is all about me—my money, my desires, my wishes, and my way. When self takes over, love for others and love for God are pushed aside.

To change, ignore, or dismiss what God has said takes pride. It is arrogant to live as if we control everything. James 4:13-17 reminds us that life is a vapor. We may make plans for a year, a business, or a future, but we do not have the power to guarantee even tomorrow. The proper perspective is to say, “If the Lord wills.” When we boast in our own arrogance, James says such boasting is evil. Pride does not merely make us look foolish; it leads us into sin.

Sin

Sin is missing the mark. It is failing to become what God calls us to be and refusing to do what God commands. 1 John 3:4 describes sin as transgression of God’s law. Without law, there can be no sin; but because God has spoken, we are accountable to Him.

Sin is also centered on self. Think about nearly any sin and ask what is at its heart. Again and again, the answer is selfishness: “I want what I want, when I want it, whether God approves or not.” David knew in his heart that his sin with Bathsheba was wrong, but he pursued what he wanted. For a time, he may have thought he had escaped the consequences, but Nathan confronted him, and David came to understand the seriousness of his sin. In Psalm 51:4, he confessed that his sin was ultimately against God.

We may be tempted to think our sin is no big deal. We may tell ourselves that we did not hurt anyone or that we are only doing what we like to do. But all sin harms our relationship with God. Isaiah 59:1-2 teaches that sin separates us from Him. That separation is not what God wants. He desires all people to come to repentance and salvation, as seen in 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Timothy 2:4.

When we put our wants and desires first—when pride and arrogance rule us—we are led into sin. Yet just as these evil things can have “me” in the middle, there are also good things that require personal involvement. No one else can believe, have faith, or live faithfully for us.

Believe

To believe is to have conviction based on testimony that something is true or that someone is reliable. In this sense, “me” must truly be in the middle. No one else can believe for me. It is not enough that my parents believe, that my congregation believes, or that people around me believe. Belief must become personal.

Joshua 24:14-15 shows that each person must decide whom they will serve. It is not enough to rely on the faith of our fathers, even if they served the true God. Just as we do not inherit sin from our ancestors, we do not inherit belief from them either. Ezekiel 18:19-20 reminds us that each person is accountable for his or her own response to God.

Salvation requires personal belief. John 3:16 emphasizes that whoever believes in the Son may have eternal life. In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer was told to believe in the Lord Jesus. Even then, it was not enough for one member of the household to believe for everyone else; each person had to respond. Closely connected with belief is faith.

Faith

To have faith in God is to trust Him and take Him at His word. Faith is closely related to belief, but it goes beyond simply knowing that God exists. Hebrews 11:6 teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God. That faith must be our own. It has to have “me” in the middle—not in a selfish way, but in the sense of personal responsibility and personal trust.

Faith directs the way we live. Proverbs 3:5-7 calls us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. That kind of faith overcomes pride because it refuses to be wise in its own eyes. It trusts God to direct the path.

Habakkuk 2:4 says that the righteous will live by faith. Living by faith means more than saying the right words. The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 did not merely claim to believe; they acted. Again and again, the chapter says “by faith,” and each example shows faith moving someone to obey God. Faith is not passive. It calls us to act, and no one can do that for us.

Going

One of the things I must do is be going. As I go through life, I need to ask whether I am involved in what God wants me to do. Matthew 28:19-20 gives the charge to go and make disciples. I may not be able to travel everywhere in the world, but as I am going, I can share the gospel with those I meet. For some people, I may be the only Christian they meaningfully interact with.

Going also includes going to the Lord in prayer. Matthew 6:6 reminds us of the personal nature of prayer. Others can pray for us, and we should pray for one another, but God also wants to hear from me. I need to be personally involved in going to Him.

At the same time, we must make sure we are not going astray. Hebrews 2:1 warns that it is possible to drift. Even after being saved, we can begin to move in the wrong direction if we do not pay careful attention. We must stay on the path that leads to God and go forth to Him, as Hebrews 13:13 urges. If we are going to heaven, we must remain faithful to Him.

Conclusion

We love independence. We appreciate freedom, the ability to make choices, and the opportunity to take responsibility for our lives. Freedom is a great blessing. But we must also understand our dependence upon God. We need Him for everything.

We can find ourselves in the middle of pride, living only to fulfill our own desires. We can find ourselves in the middle of sin, doing wrong and refusing to accept responsibility. But we also need to be in the middle of believing, because no one else can believe for us. We need to be in the middle of our faith, because our trust in God must be personal, active, and growing.

So the invitation is simple: where do you find yourself in the middle this day? Is self at the center in pride and sin, or are you personally placing yourself in the middle of belief, faith, and faithfully going with God?