James 1:16-18New King James Version (NKJV)
16) Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
How could we possibly think that any good and perfect gift didn’t come from above? How could we possibly be deceived about that?
Well, one way could be works. People in James’ day had a very strong work ethic and might have come to believe that what blessings they received came because they worked hard and made it happen for themselves or they deserved it. That person who has worked hard, whom God has provided for might be tempted to say, “I have taken care of myself,” stealing glory from God unto themselves.
Another way we might be deceived is because of superstition / luck / idol worship. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “Oh! You’re so lucky!” I’ve even said it myself but the Holy Spirit has convicted me saying, “Don’t give God’s glory to happenstance.” NOTHING comes to us by chance. It only comes to us from a sovereign God who knows the end from the beginning.
We must begin to transform how we think and speak so that our words accurately reflect God’s work in our lives. Instead of “I got a raise,” say “God gave me a raise.” Instead of “I got a promotion,” say “the Lord gave me a promotion.” Do you see the difference? By changing the way we think and speak, we take the focus and glory off self and put it back where it belongs – on God.
We must be mindful of what we say. Words have meaning. Every word means something. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
Do you allow your pride to tell you that YOU have done this great thing or do you tell your pride that you are highly favored by your Lord and Savior and HE has done this wonderful thing on your behalf?
God wants us to be aware of this so we might be a kind of first fruits for Him – the first of many souls saved in our sphere of influence.
I wonder how different things might be if we made a simple change of telling the truth of God’s goodness. How are you doing today? “I’m blessed by God” or “God’s working on me.”
Let’s be the light and be DOERS of the word, not just hearers. Give God credit for what He is doing! Every good and perfect gift is from HIM!
