Your Success is About God
We're learning this week that it's not about us. It's about God. Max Lucado’s great book It’s Not About Me is showing us this.
Chapter 13 is all about how our success is about God, not about us. Often in the Old Testament, God's people would be victorious if they went about conquering the land. And often you read them saying that it wasn't about them, it was God. David in 1 Chronicles 29:12 said “Riches and honor come from you alone. For you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand. And it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength.”
The Frog's Journey to Survival and Success
As you look at the success that you've had in life. I know that you've put in the effort and you've tried and you've done a lot of hard work. But can you realize that even so, it is God who has enabled you to do that? God allows us to excel so that He can be made known.
You remember yesterday we spoke about how our struggle is like a frame for God to be displayed. Well, so is our success. It's like a frame so that God can get the glory of what we've done.
Lucado tells a story that I want to share here. He says, “I know a frog who had a real problem. His home pond was drying up. If he didn't find water soon, he would do the same. Word reached him of a vibrant stream over the adjacent hill. If only he could live there. But how could he? The short legs of a frog were not made for long journeys. But then he had an idea. Convincing two birds to carry the end of a stick. He bit the center and held on as they flew. As they winged towards the new water, his jaws clamped tightly. It was quite a sight. Two birds, one stick and a frog in the middle!
Humility in Success: Giving Glory to God
Down below a cow in a pasture saw them passing overhead. Impressed, he wondered aloud ‘now who came up with that idea?’ The frog overheard his question and couldn't resist replying “It was meeee!”
Lucado says “don't make the same mistake. Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before the fool.” Proverbs 16:18.
If you open your mouth to try and proclaim your own goodness, you're going to fall. Rather, let your success point people to God. It is he and he alone who deserves the glory in all that we've done.
