Give the glory to God

This message is worth sharing and repeating because the tendency to deify or worship human beings especially pastors is gaining momentum these days.
Deification and self-exaltation constitute an iniquity that causes us to be entangled in the web of spiritual conflicts. And because God does not judge this iniquity sparingly, any man who tries to usurp God’s glory is cast down into disgrace and dishonour, for the Most High will not share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8).
Granted, the Scripture tells us to give our spiritual leaders double honour. That kind of honour involves respecting them, obeying them, being hospitable to them and supporting them financially.
However, ascribing or receiving the honour of worship that belongs exclusively to the high and lofty One to a mere mortal is a snare which every pastor must resist instantly and consistently.
Many a powerful spiritual leader, political leader, business captain, sports wizard and entertainment giant, has ended their career a cast away because of this relentless iniquity. We must always be on guard against it because it has the subtle power to turn our success into our destruction.
People who are defied pass on the blame to the crowds of people who wrongly place them in the position of God. “I have never called myself that way. It is the people who call me that way”, they argue.
If God put you in the limelight in whatever field of your calling you must always be alert and vigilant to resist being worshipped. Such resistance involves publicly telling your mistaken worshippers not to call you names that belong to God or make remarks towards you that suggest you are excelling by your own power. Apostle Peter exemplified this. When Cornelius kneeled and worshipped in Acts10, He commanded him, “Stand up, for I myself am also a man.” To those who looked intently on him as seeing a god after healing a cripple in Acts 3, Peter said, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” Keeping quiet when you are hailed like a god means you are in agreement.
Let us also learn from the master himself. One day an ambitious rich young ruler kneeled down and addressed Jesus Christ as the good master (Mark 10:17). To which address Jesus sternly responded with a point of correction. He replied, “Why call me good? There is none but one, that is God.” He perceived that the goodness suggested here belonged not to a man like him but to God only. As such he had to resist it immediately. Jesus knew that humility was the hallmark of a successful walk with God, was the attitude to cultivate if he wanted to accomplish his mission on earth and was the virtue that attracted the grace of God in the greatest way.
He knew that pride precedes a fall but humility comes before honour. Hence he demonstrated unmatched humility throughout his earthly life. The scriptures that confirm that Christ was a humble worker and walker are many. In John 13 he carried out the menial task of washing his disciples’ feet.
The most revealing of these scriptures is Philippians 2:8 which reads, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  More, his favourite title was Son of man as opposed to the titles we hear in churches today. Hello man of God, can you imagine yourself condescending to wash the feet of a church member, especially the non-tither? There is the rub. Our pride will not allow that.
We will do well to adopt John the Baptist’s humility. That forerunner of Jesus was worthy of his place in sacred history as the Chief of protocol. He considered himself unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals.
When provoked by people of unwise zeal to jealousy as his disciples were leaving him and cleaving to Jesus Christ, he uttered the most striking statement of humility that remains too lofty for us to assimilate. He said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Note the double use of the imperative term “must”. When it comes to giving Jesus glory due to him, it is a must. We must choose to exalt God, ascribe glory to Him. Giving God is a two-way traffic; as we lift Him up we must at the same time humble ourselves.
You cannot exalt God and yourself at the same time. Failure to do so means incurring the just judgment already spelt out in Matthew 23:12. It says, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Humility is humility when we do it ourselves; when God humbles us it becomes humiliation.
Since God gives grace, favour and enabling power to excel, to the humble, it is a wise thing for every child of God, shepherd and sheep alike, to walk in humility in this earthly life. After all, all we have; positions, titles, degrees, property and possessions, talents and abilities, we received from God. There is nothing good that we have, that we have not received from Him. Unless the source of our power lies elsewhere, we should not glory in man, but in Christ, the One who is worthy of all glory, honour and praise in the church.
– For prayer and counseling call 0772889766 or e-mail mai ros78@yahoo.co.uk