Growing in God

It's one thing to take pride in your work – you know what I mean, in a good way – but it's quite another to be prideful about your work, your great achievements, the amazingly brilliant things you've done. Back in the 19th century, William Carey, the "father of modern missions" as he was often called, accomplished extraordinary things in India—translating the Bible into multiple languages and founding a good many schools. But for a season, he grew quite proud of his scholarly achievements. He displayed his work like trophies. When a fire destroyed years of translation manuscripts, Carey was devastated. Yet in that loss, he confessed how much pride had crept in. God used the setback to remind him that this was never about human accomplishment, but about divine purpose. From then on, Carey worked with deeper humility, knowing it was God, not his own brilliance, doing the lasting work. I've always taken pride in my work. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me, so I've always wanted to do my very best in anything I turned my hand to. But, like Carey, in my earlier years, I was also prideful – seeing life as a competition to outdo the next person and win the accolades. That's something God knocked out of me over many decades now, as I came to the realisation that the greatest things happen when God gets the glory. 1 Corinthians 3:7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the one who makes things grow. Ain't that the truth, because that's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.