Wednesday, May 6: Acts 15- God's work, not mine.

Chapter 15 marks one of the most important moments in the life of the early church. The account of this chapter details how the message of Jesus can and will spread in every culture of the world. It was settled; no human culture is to be the incubator of Christianity… not Judaism, which was the immediate situation before them, and therefore not any culture. Faith in Christ was allowed to thrive in the Gentile world without believers first needing to become Jews. And that is God’s model to this day; new converts need not step out of their culture into another in order to follow Jesus! Rather the Spirit of Jesus will work through one’s culture, exposing what is not compatible with faith in Jesus, and what is no problem…

So far my musings have involved my thoughts but as I was reading, a few words from verse 4 latched onto my inner being. Here Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Those 3 words touched me, reminding me that any good that happens as a result of my life is God’s work not mine. I love the imagery of God working through me. I find that image liberating! I have to work hard and faithfully. I need to live for Jesus and seek to have His life and character fill me and change me, but all the results… people being encouraged, people coming to faith, people being healed or touched in some wonderful way… were all God’s doing. God is Lord, not me!

But this also means I have to give God the credit, too. I cannot strut around as if I am someone special because of God working through me. I love Barnabas and Paul’s humility as they reported everything God had done through them. The emphasis is on God not themselves… And this is a lesson I need to take to heart…

Lord, I pray that I can rightly give You all praise and honor when YOU work through me to bring some grace into another’s life. Please, Lord, may I truly live believing that it is ALL ABOUT YOU. I pray this through Jesus, my Lord, Who rescued and saved me. Amen.