TO THE GLORY OF GOD
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
I've had a couple of different kind of hunters... those that admit that they can take little credit when they harvest a trophy, and those that take all the credit no matter what.
A pastor hunted with me a few years back and killed a tremendous 12 point whitetail buck with his old bow. He was thankful for all that were involved. He realized that he was just a guest and he just sat in the stand and released the arrow. He gave the credit to those that had set it all up and gave all the glory to God.
Another hunter took a buck of many lifetimes on a hunt with Linda and myself. A Boone and Crockett whitetail that was simply amazing. It was the biggest buck I had ever seen. Opening day of the season, this buck was brought into camp by a hunter. As hunters are prone to do, everyone gathered around the truck to ooh and awe over the buck. The hunter, who you would think would be thanking and praising the landowner, outfitter and anyone else involved in the hunt... stood silently, with a smug smirk on his face.
All that week the stench of pride came from that hunter. Someone actually mentioned he acted like he had somehow grown the antlers himself. By the last day of camp everyone was ready to be gone and never hear the story again. It ended up being the beginning of the end of that camp group. The issue of pride and glory had destroyed relationships.
There is an old story that tells of a visitor who encounters three stonemasons working on a medieval cathedral, and asks each what he is doing. 'can't you see? I am cutting this stone to shape,' says the first, describing his basic actions. When the second was asked he sounds irritated as he responded, 'it would seem obvious, I am building a great cathedral,' describing his intermediate goal. The third stonemason answered, 'I am working for the glory of God,' describing his high-level objective. The construction of architectural masterpieces required that high objectives be pursued through lesser, but nonetheless fulfilling, goals and actions."
James 1:17 confirms to us that...
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
God gives each of us talents and abilities (actually, ALL good things) and we have nothing do to with it. Sure we might tune our skills and talents, we can practice and refine them, but we cannot acquire them on our own.
It's like the hunter that harvested the record book buck... he pulled the trigger, but God provided the buck of that size, the landowner provided the land, the outfitter provided the scouting and the hunt. The hunter had little to do with the harvest of the buck, yet he took all the glory. This cannot be the case in our lives when it comes to anything that is provided by God... and that is EVERYTHING!
We also must realize that our responsibility as the children of God is to point all efforts, actions and praise should go to the larger purpose.... The purposes of God.
Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
If we gave all glory to God and took none of the glory, I believe that we would show our true love of Him to the world. When we lower our pride, and lift it up to Him, we open the window for the world to see Him better.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE
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