Today’s Reading, Psalms 111-118
Focal Scripture: Psalms 115:1 “Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your faithful love, because of your truth.”
I like to be given praise when I do something well. Why? It is nice to be recognized for doing something and having people notice how hard you have worked. However, this can become a problem if you want not only to be recognized but also to be given glory and promoted above other people. I have seen this numerous times in my life. Every time a person wants and desires the glory for accomplishments and achievements, pride and a fall are not far behind. Being complimented for doing something well is not the same as wanting to receive all of the glory.
In today’s reading, the Psalmist says that we don’t need to receive glory because of our name. The only glory that should come is because of his name. Why? Because he is full of faithful love and pure truth. God can receive all of the glory because he is perfect in all of his ways. He doesn’t have an agenda and is worthy because of his character.
Who gets the glory in your life? Who gets the glory in the church you attend? I have been around people who want to be the center of worship. They may not say it out loud, but their actions tell the true story. One time, I was around a man who became indignant when another pastor was complimented above him by another church member. He held onto it and treated this person terribly. He even said, “I am the pastor, how come they don’t talk about me that way?” This person has a bloated heart of envy that wants glory.
So what is the solution to make sure you’re not a glory seeker? The only solution is to know your place biblically and understand that God is the only one who should receive praise. Yes, we can get complimented, but we should never desire to be the focus of any job, institution, or especially church. Problems happen when we elevate our being above the one who created us to begin with.
Give all glory to God and watch how everything in your life changes for the better.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Kings 1-2 & Psalms 37, 71, 94
