Scripture:

“If you start thinking to yourselves, ‘I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!’—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (MSG)

Perspective:

Moses was giving instructions to the Israelites as they were on the plains of Moab, finding their way to their promised destination. In giving them instructions in how to live, Moses warned them of a common pitfall. If the people followed God’s instructions, God would bless them. When God blessed the people, they would have the temptation to think that they had done it all themselves. This false confidence could cause them to walk away from the God who enabled them to accomplish everything. The cycle of blessing would be short-circuited by their false thinking.

We can easily fall prey to false thinking that our success has been based on our own merit. Especially in cultures where self-sufficiency is celebrated, we can want our success to only be associated with our effort. Yet, God’s blessing comes with an opportunity to celebrate what God has enabled us to do. He has given us strength, resources, and opportunity to overcome challenges and receive blessings. When we take the credit for ourselves, we miss the opportunity to realize that our source is not limited to our own behavior. We don’t like to take all the credit for bad outcomes, but we can sure gloat in our own abilities when positive outcomes occur if we allow ourselves to entertain false thinking. Celebrate the win but always remember who enabled you to get out on the field.

Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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