2 CORINTHIANS 3:4-5

Such confidence as this is through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

TO PONDER

I recently saw a course advertising, ‘How to be the best you can be and enjoy success’. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked further, it would cost me $475.00 for two days, all materials, lunches and morning teas provided, and I would be on the road to be a successful high flyer.

I don’t need all that, God has made me the best he needs me to be for the job he has chosen for me to do in this life. Society sees what the ‘self’ can achieve as most important; self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-esteem, but our lives should be driven by God-importance; God-sufficiency, God-reliance, God-esteem. When we accept that without God we can never be sufficient in ourselves, or claim anything we do as our own achievement, we adopt a gentle spirit. We don’t have to aggressively enter the world of dog eat dog, we can be humble in our God-given achievements. At the beginning of the week we learned that we can do nothing without God, Moses recognised this and continued to plead his case that God would change his mind and accompany them.  We should recognise that we don’t have the competency  that we should boast about our achievements but to God be the glory.

PRAYER: Gracious, loving, gifting God, we confess that ‘you have given me and still preserve my body and soul with all their powers. You provide me with food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and all I need from day to day’*. Forgive me when I forget that I cannot achieve without you and claim kudos for a task well done. Thank you for equipping me with exactly what I need to do the tasks you have set for me. I thank you for your Holy Spirit who helps me know and understand your words and ways. May I never forget to give you the glory. Amen 

*[Luther explanation first article Apostles’ Creed]

Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle