Monday, May 14, 2018
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
GIVING GOD THE GLORY
Did you have a great week? Did things come together just right at work? Did you get an A on the big test? Maybe you received some special recognition? Is it OK to be proud of the accomplishment? It's a question believers sometimes struggle with. After all, God says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18).
That doesn't mean, however, that we shouldn't work hard, strive for excellence, and feel good about success. Solomon wrote: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.” But then he adds, "This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). It's a matter of giving credit where credit is due. Pride becomes a problem when we ignore God's role and give "self" the ultimate credit for who we are or what we accomplish. Paul says, "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Pride is an especially dangerous threat to our relationship with God. By nature we would like to take pride in being "good people." In the minds of many a "good Christian" is someone who is kind and decent and does good things. That kind of pride in self leads to certain death, for God tells us that there is no difference. All have sinned and fall short of His glory. Our "goodness" before God does not come from us, but from Jesus. It is His righteousness given to us by faith which makes us pleasing to our Father.
Scripture warns us against unjustified pride in self and encourages us to praise God for His love which sees us as so precious that He made us His children in Christ, and has given us His Spirit that we may find joy and satisfaction in serving Him and our neighbor.
