Following Jesus makes you special, plain and simple. You have His favor, which brings courage, power, and authority. It’s no small thing. I don’t think all Christians realize how much power they carry through Christ.
That being said, when the Lord leads us out of darkness (first through salvation, then by taking up our cross and pursuing a personal relationship with Him), everything we accomplish is through His power. Yes, we are given free will and are expected to use it, but it is Christ who is the source of our aptitude. He partners with us.
When we fail to give the Lord credit where credit is due, it grieves Him. God loves it when we praise and openly acknowledge His goodness. When good things happen, He wants to hear about them and He really wants you to share them with others (1 Peter 2:9).
When we think we can do things in our own might, we lose sight of the fact that if something doesn’t have God’s blessing, it isn’t going to happen. If it does, it won’t be fulfilling. How many times have we forgotten about including God in a major decision or endeavor and then regretted it down the line? Or the times we’ve accomplished great things but forgot to thank and praise Him.
If you’ve overcome an obstacle in life, any kind of obstacle, it is because God had your back, whether you realized it at the time or not. He is a good father.
I can think of many things that He has done for me, things I could never have done in my own strength. Like overcome a fear of commitment and get married to a good Christian man. Overcome a fear of motherhood, then have a joyful pregnancy, and birth a healthy baby who has blessed me beyond measure (even with her five-year-old sass). Write children’s books and pitch them to publishers (one is published, working on another). And step out of the boat, big time, to write openly for Him. All of it was done through Christ who strengthened me during every milestone. I could tell you how much support I got from friends and family when I launched a website dedicated entirely to the Lord, but it was nothing to write home about.
Much of what’s important to me matters very little to others, but that doesn’t stop me from doing what the Lord calls me to do. Every measure of success I have and will ever attain in this earthly realm is only due to His provision. Whatever He is calling you to do, His grace is sufficient! Go for it and don’t forget to give Him all the glory. Glory for the big things and especially for the simple ones.
Remember, you don’t need a special reason to praise Him, because being His child and living in the light is reason enough!
