Give God The Glory
“He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Exodus 32:4
“The first sin was rebellion, idolatry, treason, and pride, all rolled into a single bite. Both Adam and Eve made a conscious choice to rebel against their Creator and live on their own terms. And we imitate their decision every time we choose our desires over God’s.”
As the children of Israel left the land of Bondage, God gave them much favor and made them a terror to the Egyptians, causing them to turn over their wealth in gold, silver, and precious stones to the Israelites. They instantly went from poverty to stupendous wealth, they became rich by the favor and grace of God.
But what did they do when they became rich?
They turned their wealth into their idol and praised it for their deliverance from Egypt. As disappointing and disgusting as this may be, many times we find ourselves in this same position.
Blessed by God but at unguarded moments these gifts become the object of our devotion as against the Giver of the gift.
For example, sometimes people hail us for our brilliance and we take the glory for our promotion as a reflection of our intelligence rather than of God’s favor.
We boast about how good we look, about our investments and property, and ultimately spend more time around our ‘things’ than on God.
Many times we exalt ‘family time’ over spending time with God and put our personal agenda at the center of life, instead of God’s agenda.
Many even feel they have outgrown serving others just because they have become abundantly blessed.
It’s time to stay humble and ask for the grace to be truly grateful.
Do not take all the gifts that God has brought your way and make them your idol.
Not the jobs, not the money, not the relationships, not the children, not the careers, not the houses and properties. Nothing.
Prioritize a real relationship with God, put the focus on Him, and acknowledge Him as your source even at the risk of being called ‘religious’.
You don’t need to be diplomatic or sound politically correct with God’s grace in your life.
Give all the glory to God for every benefit and every blessing. Let us never say to things like Israelites “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”