But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, "God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people." --James 4:6
God is opposed to the proud because they are so shortsighted. They only see "self" in the obvious.
It can be proven that any endeavor never stands alone or in isolation. Think about it for a minute or two. What did you ever accomplish alone?
Even if you reduce all the evidence to self, you still have to give credit to your parents that gave you birth.
What about the gene pool you inherited or the talents that made you stand apart from others? Can you take credit for that?
Let's say you are a great musician that locked yourself away eight hours a day for years to develop the skill needed to be the best in your field.
Who created the wood that makes your violin sing so sweet? What about the strings? I wonder where all the people came from to hear you play--wasn't a manager responsible for getting people in the seats?
When you break life down, we are all dependent on others even when we don't see it. The problem with sin is we don't care. We aren't interested in truth or reason...we just want the glory ourselves.
How many prayers went before our salvation in Christ? Have you ever sat at a red light only to notice someone on the sidewalk across the street that seemed to have great needs. Maybe you prayed for that person silently a few seconds before the light turned green.
Jump ahead five years and at church a man shares his testimony. It was the man you prayed for. How many other Christians prayed for that man?
In the end it doesn't matter how many. We are called to be faithfully obedient to the responsibilities before us and allow God to cause the growth. When we keep looking over our shoulder, seeking the glory, we rob God of His glory. That should concern us.
Take a moment today and start giving thanks to "all that had gone before." Start with family, elementary school teachers, coaches, neighbors, and all those "silent" personalities that had a part in your life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind, and to search your heart to those who had positive impact in your life.
Experience the freedom of walking without the pressure of feeding “self” and to live with the wisdom of acknowledging those who came before that paved the way for the steps we take.
“When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.” — Jacob Riis
-Joe Ventura
No comments:
Post a Comment