Monday, February 27, 2012

Everything Is From God (1 Cor. 4:6-7)

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
(1 Corinthians 4:6-7, NASB)

A couple of days ago, I quoted Psalm 24:1, which says that “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” Everything belongs to our Creator God.

So why do we struggle with pride or arrogance? Why do we look at all the stuff around us and think, “Look at what I have. Look at what I’ve done.” Or at the things we can do and think, "Look at how great I am."

We owe our very lives to God, and if He’s chosen to bless us with earthly treasures, then we should be grateful, not arrogant.

And it’s the same with any spiritual gifts with which He’s chosen to bless us. I have to admit, this is an area I used to struggle with a lot. I’m immensely privileged to often speak and/or sing for women’s events, and for many years, I served on worship teams. It was often all too easy for me to think about those gifts as mine. And when I thought of those gifts as mine, rather than something from God I should steward, I’d think, “I can do that better than she can.”

It’s only when I finally recognized how weak and incapable I am without God’s work in my life—and that everything I have and am is His—that I was able to give whatever gifts He’s given me back to Him. If He chooses to use me to speak or sing, then it’s a blessing. If He chooses not to, then it’s still a blessing. Because He’ll use me in another way.

We can’t take credit for anything. We’ve received everything from God, and it is for His glory that all we have—our time, our talents, and our treasures—should be used.

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