feed the market, God, good financial condition, the thirst for glory,
There are difficult subjects to be addressed, but they should never be avoided, since eternity is drawing closer to us.
So, if we’re living in the final days, we need to be attentive to the dangers that this period brings.
To me, two factors characterize the last days: the coldness of faith and the thirst for glory, very common situations among Christians nowadays.
Today I want to focus on the subject of “thirst of glory”, and at another time, I’ll speak about the scarcity of a genuine faith.
We live in a time where servants are not content in only serving, they want to be rewarded and recognized for what they do in the Work of God. There are those who do something for the Work of God only to have their name become well known, so this way, they enjoy a good reputation and benefits for their service.
With this surges a new generation intoxicated with the desires of compensation, spotlight, applause and flattery. We can say that this has been an evangelical addiction. And don’t underestimate the power of this dependency, because it’s much greater than that of illicit drugs, such as cocaine.
In this marketplace of religious vanity are those who corrupt and those who are corrupted. This means, we see the sellers and buyers. Those who are willing to give glory to man and others who are eager to have it. That’s why we hear praises that are nothing but nonsense, such as, “So-and-so is the greatest…”, “That person is the best…”, “We’ve never had anyone like them before…” Know that, those who give this type of praise or receive it, walk down the path of self-deceit and destruction.
This happens because our human nature easily forgets that no matter how good of a person we are, we’re nothing more than vessels of clay. If there is a high intellect, authority, good financial condition or any other gift, its source is not earthly. All gifts come from the Most High, therefore, if the kingdoms, power, life, wisdom… in short, if everything comes from God, to Him alone belongs the glory.
The psalmist understood this when he said, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory…” (Ps 115:1)
The Almighty shares everything with humanity, such as His love, His justice, His Son, His Spirit and so many other privileges. But there is something that He is extremely zealous about: His glory. This, the Most High does not share with anyone.
Don’t try to compete with God, but let your life, talents and deeds, bring praise to Him. And, if someone praises you for something you did, tell them that any virtue you have, comes from Him. This way, you return all the glory to the One to whom it belongs to and deserves all honour for it.
Everything in me and in you which can be admired, came from our incomparable God, who is eternal and perfect. To Him, through Him and for Him are all things. Never fall into the trap of thinking that you’re something great, because let me tell you, you’re not! After all, we can all conjugate together this verb, because before majesty, greatness and Divine omnipotence, we are insignificant.
Don’t feed your heart with self-praise nor feed the market of human vanity!
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