DEVOTION – DAY 569

Colossians 3:17 “Praise God, Not Self”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father through Him.”

In today’s world, it is common to see people want to claim credit for themselves. People want to receive recognition for their work and accomplishments. They want praises and awards from others. People also want to promote themselves. That is why many young people seek to become influencers on social media. The more they promote themselves and project a certain desired public image, the more popular they become, the more money they make for themselves.

This stands in sharp contrast to how God wants us to behave. In Colossians 3:17, Christians are called to give all credit to the Lord Jesus. They are to acknowledge that all that they have, all their capabilities, their skills and accomplishments are only possible by the grace of the Lord. God deserve all the praise, honor and glory and nothing should detract from that. Instead, Christians are to remain humble and faithful, and not to seek self-promotion and personal attention. The reason is because self-promotion and attention seeking leads to pride. Pride is a sin because it encourages people to think highly of themselves and their ability to be independent. Such people do not think they need God nor do they think they have time for God. 

Kim Kardashian is a well-known social influencer and TV reality star. She had built a brand surrounding her personality. She is so used to being the center of attention because of her relentless promotion of herself that she is known to be demanding and proud. Despite the negative aspects, she is still followed by millions on social media because people want to aspire to her fame, wealth and recognition. But behind the façade is a divorced woman bringing up her children alone, sharing the same values for attention-seeking and pride. We compare her to another woman we know who has no social media account. She had chosen to spend her time and focus to ministering to orphans in Uganda. She would freely admit that she is only able to do all that she does because of God’s enablement. She freely admits that there are daily struggles and fears of failure but God gives her the strength and ability to overcome her struggles and fears. She would not want to change her way of life for anything else because she knows that the impact she has amongst the orphans under her care has great eternal value.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we worship You for You are our Great and Gracious God. You deserve all praise, honor and glory. Please help us to safeguard our hearts and minds against pride and self-promotion. May we always depend upon you and your gracious help for us. We humbly pray in the great name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. Why do people want to seek recognition and praise for their achievements?
2. Why does God want us to give Him all praise, honor and glory? Discuss.
3. How do you safeguard yourself against the sin of pride in your life?
4. Do you have social media accounts and are you affected by the number of likes, and followers you have because of your postings in social media? What motivates you to promote yourself on social media and what are the dangers? Discuss.