Glory Jacking

In Acts 14:15-18 we see Paul and Barnabas try desperately and with alarm, to convince the people of Lycaonia to not offer sacrifices to them as they were not God. They tried to explain with soo much passion that the wonders they had worked (Healing a cripple in vs 8-10) was not wrought by their own hands or their own Power but by the Power of the risen Christ. They went as far as tearing their clothes or like Scripture says, renting their garment to stop the heresy.

Now for most of us as Christians, this seems like a no brainer, we all believe we would never let people worship us in the place of God. The question is how true is that? Beyond empty worship, the consciousness Paul and Barnabas were operating on was that they would not partake or share in the Glory and Praise that was due God.

Yet there are many times in our own way that we try to appropriate God's glory without even knowing it.

We say and we believe it for the most part, that every gift and talent with have is given to us by God. Yet somehow, when we start to see the fruit of those gifts and talents, we forget to give ALL the glory to God. Notice the emphasis on ALL, because I find that we often mistake thanksgiving for giving God the glory. Don't get me wrong, thanksgiving is absolutely a part of giving God the Glory but it's not ALL of it.

Ascribing God the Glory due Him, has more to do with the state of our hearts when it comes to our accomplishments than what we say or even do sometimes. It is very easy to be grateful yet still in some portion of your heart, begin to think more highly of yourself than you should.

Now of course as Children of God, we ought to be bold and have a strong sense of self, but that sense of self ought to be rooted in the grace of God and who HE has made us to be, not who we are in and of ourselves.

This is why Paul says, what do you have that you have not received? Yes, it is absolutely wonderful that you've been diligent and made something of what God has put in your hands but even then, who supplied the grace, the favour, the help you needed to get it done? Who refined you and gave you the wisdom to know what to do? Who went ahead of you to make every crooked part straight?

The more conscious you become of how actively helped you are by God as a child of God the more likely you are to stay humble. We really are tools in His hands, willing tools yes, but tools none the less, so it is very important that we all mature to the point where accolades and praise are not enough to influencer our opinion of ourselves or start to attempt to ascribe even a little portion of the Glory to ourselves.

And hey look! God is awesome in that way that He'll do most of the work and He'll let you get the Credit for it. As a matter of fact, He sets you up to get the credit, the awards and you know it, all the accolades! But it is important to understand that this is a test for each and everyone of us. So when you find yourself soaring high and basking in all the many accolades He’s set you up for, don’t EVER forget to give Him ALL the Glory because that, He has no intention of sharing with you.