I saw a reality show commercial. These women are selling the show and boasting. Sales is boasting as I well know. It would have been an oversight to attend a marketing meeting and not mention how many successful home-sales I conducted. However, I was not “self-made”. Credit where credit is due. I was created by God. He gives life. He gives gifts. I work hard to use those gifts. When my business did well I tried to give God the credit. Also, when business or life has not gone well, He is still to be trusted and given credit. That may sound harsh so feel free to rebut. Self-made just sounds overly confident. James writes about making great plans for ourselves in 4:13-14, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” The rest of the chapter suggests we consult our Maker. He has the best plan and sin is just missing the plan. Normally we think it is about what will make us happy and I hope your future does make you happy but that cannot be the measuring rod. Jesus never promised to guarantee our happiness but He did offer a future that we can trust to Him. I believe that my children turned out more amazing than I could have imagined. That is a good example of how God does more. I also think He can redirect my miscalculations. That is not self-made but God-directed. Be confident but don’t take credit for all you are because your plans have a limited view while God knows the beginning and the end. I hope the show that started this discourse succeeds in the best way as not all success is positive.
When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer. – Patrick Lencioni
God only knows what your best answer is. Let’s listen.
