The author of the book (Unexplainable, by Don Cousins) my CARE
Group is reading and discussing our way through wrote something that caught my
attention. He writes that the bottom line of success in life is “making God
famous”. He describes four ways we do this. One of them stood out to me. He
writes, “We make God famous when we give Him the credit He deserves.” Since
reading that statement I have been thinking about this question: “What can you
give God the credit for right now?”
I think this is such a great question
for disciples of Jesus, because our joy rises the more He receives glory. Our
sense of success grows deeper the more God is exalted in our words, attitudes,
and deeds. How would/could you answer that question? You could answer it by
giving Him credit for the things you have. For most of us, that’s a lot of
credit to give to Him. If doing this isn’t easy for you, I recommend reading
Deuteronomy 8 (especially verses 17-18). You could also answer this question by
giving God the credit for your job, your intelligence, your good ideas, your
creativity, your wisdom, your athletic skills, your musical ability, your
computer/technology skills: your ability - in fact - to do anything in your life that you are capable of doing. This includes
even all the small things you and I take for granted every day – reading,
speaking, thinking, communicating, caring, sharing, listening, breathing… and
the list goes on and on.
I think I can safely say that we all
would be disappointed with someone (at the least), or even hate someone (perhaps
at the worst) who took the credit for something inappropriately. Taking the
credit for inventing the internet in a slip of words certainly did not help Al
Gore in his presidential bid a few years ago. I remember how much it bothered
my daughter in high school when she was given “group assignments” with several
other students. Invariably what would happen is that she would do all the work
and the whole group would end up getting credit (the same grade) for it. Don’t
you hate that… when you have a great idea, or do something nice for another
person, or do some hard work… and someone else “steals” the credit? It’s a
powerful feeling of injustice that sweeps over us. Sometimes it includes a
feeling of indignation. We want to set things straight, “put them in their
place”, and make sure people really know
who deserves the attention or acclaim. We feel it’s not right for someone to do
such a thing.
Does God do that with us? Yet how
often do our actions, attitudes, and words communicate the idea that we are
seeking or taking the credit for something in our lives – credit that really
belongs to Him? The truth is that often we are “glory hogs”. We do not give
credit to Him whom credit is due. And we fail to make Him famous. But the joy…
the success… and the satisfaction comes deepest when we sincerely, humbly, and
appropriately give the glory (credit) to God. One way of thinking about this is
that it is our full time job. My full-time occupation in life is to find ways
in my speech, attitudes, and behaviors that show God’s worthiness. Today is a
good day to start.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV) 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and
the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But
remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce
wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it
is today.
Isaiah 42:8 (NIV) 8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not
yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Psalm 83:18 (NIV) 18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord
that you alone are the Most High
over all the earth.
PRAYER: “Father, may
I be a vessel through which You glory shines through. May my life, my words, my
attitudes – may all that I am – make You famous, as far and wide as Your will
may allow it in me. Forgive me for the times I have not given You the credit…
when I have remained silent when I could have spoken, and when I have let
people praise me beyond that which displays Your glory. You deserve it all, and
I thank You for Your amazing grace to me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
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