“One of my neighbors,” Stan began, “was teaching his daughter how to ride a bicycle yesterday.”
“How did that go?” I asked.
“She made great progress,” Stan replied. “At one point she was peddling and steering the bike all by herself and she proudly yelled, ‘Look at me!’”
“That’s great,” I responded.
“It was,” Stan said, “but it reminded me of how I am not to say ‘Look at me’ in the sense of taking any credit for what God is doing in and through me.”
Continuing, he said, “If I am thinking that I am anything special for what I am doing for God, I am way off track. No, anything that God chooses to do through me is to point at Him, not me.”
“My role is to be thankful that I can be a part of what God is doing and to make sure it is God, not me, who gets the glory.”
“But isn’t that kind of hard,” I replied, “when people say really nice things about what you are doing?”
“Yes,” Stan replied, “it can be hard, but it gets easier the more I do what Jesus told me to do.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Deny self,” Stan replied. “Get me out of God’s way and not take any credit for what He is doing.”
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I say to every one among you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to have sound judgment. Romans 12:3.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, that you want to use me to accomplish what you want to do. Please forgive me for all of the times I try to take credit for what you are doing. Please help me in not thinking more highly of myself than I do of you. You are the Lord God Almighty. I am to be yours for your purposes, a conduit for what you want to do. Please, Lord, help me in denying my self and getting out of your way, giving you all of the glory for everything you choose to do through me. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Waiting for the Train 