Don't get puffed up

If you're reading this in an email, scroll down to the very last link and click the link to view in your browser

"Then the seventy returned with joy saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.' And He said to them, 'I saw satan fall like lightning from Heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.' 
                                                                                                          Luke 10:17-20.   NKJV

When we do something for God and it works out well, we are pleased - in fact blessed and ecstatic that things were great, and it was us that did it. However, we must remember who we're serving - God, not us. He deserves the Glory not ourselves. We just need to be grateful that He uses us and that is all.

It's so easy to want praise ourselves. When we've preached or led worship or done some other work for God, we almost stand there expecting people to come up and say, "Well done - that was excellent etc etc" Or perhaps, "you led us to the throne of God today, with your worship." If we don't get it, we can become a little upset or demoralised. In other words, we begin to feel puffed up and expect the credit.

It wasn't wrong for the seventy disciples to be joyful for what they had accomplished. However, we need to remember that satan became puffed up in Heaven and wanted to take over from God, until he was evicted. Jesus was just gently reminding them that the main thing is that their names were written in Heaven and that was their reward. 

It's natural, when we're serving God to feel good about it. We wouldn't be human if we didn't feel that way. However, taking the Glory that God so deserves is not. Be joyful and grateful that God use us, yes, but let us remember that He trusts us to do the work He has chosen us to do, and that is all. Let's give Him the Glory and be grateful that our names too, are written in Heaven.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com