2 Corinthians 4:5-12: They Should Get The Credit

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. - 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

 It is very tempting to redirect conversations to reflect what we know and how special we are. I know because I am a master at it. I can find a connection between anything you say to something I've done, someone I know or some dumb joke that I heard. At the center of all of those things is "I" Even self-deprecating jokes still center on me-my failure, my inadequacies, my faux pas. 

But Paul says here that "what we proclaim is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants." The key here is related to the word "servants" and its not even Jesus' servants but "your servants" 

It seems that servants should not upstage the one that they are serving. That is: the butler should not look more important than the head of the household and the waiter at a restaurant should not look more important than the head chef. But in this case we are not supposed to look more important than Jesus--that's pretty easy to track with--but also we are not supposed to look more important than "you"--the people we are serving--"with ourselves as your servants" Now that's a tough one. 

Making God look like the star of the show is one thing, but making you look like the start of the show is a level of humility that I struggle with. God gives me many opportunities to show this level of humility--at home, at work, at the checkout counter, in like at the hotel or on the road in my car--and I fail regularly. So I will pray the dangerous prayer--Lord, give me opportunities to give you and them the most credit without hinting that I deserve some too.