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. 

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16: Telling the Story, God Gets the Credit

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall. He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers. - Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

Story telling is an important part of who we are. So many of my conversations with my kids are "just so" stories-why things today are the way they are. Sometimes these are not fun topics-how we didn't go to the Philippines, how we left Fremont, why we moved churches, why mommy had surgery and many more. Sometimes these are fun topics-how we met, how our kids lowered each over the railing in our stairwell, how we raised our chickens, places we went together. There are so many stories where my kids have heard them so many times that they can finish them for me. "We will not hide them...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord." God has taken us from place to place, and by telling the stories I give him credit and they see that. Maybe they will retell the stories to their kids and give God credit.