Giving or Grabbing the Glory: Fighting Self-Righteousness by Remembering What God Has Done
January 20, 2022 • by Janaye Atkinson
“Can we have some bread with our dinner?” my oldest daughter asked from her chair while my children sat at the table eating lunch. I glanced at the clock, “Yeah, I’ve got enough time to make some!” I opened the cupboard, gathered the few simple ingredients, and turned on the faucet, preparing to proof the yeast.
As I stood there waiting for the yeasty mixture to foam, I recognized the goodness of this very ordinary task. But with a few more moments of contemplation I found myself being tempted with self-righteous thoughts. I was going down a rabbit hole of what I’ll call glory-grabbing.
“Okay. Clean up lunch, proof the yeast, lay the three youngest down for their naps, grade her homework, finish the bread, read that chapter to the boys, then start dinner. Anybody else would be losing their mind right now but I’ve got this.”
“And that wife thinks she’s got it hard! What would she do in my shoes?”
“All the good choices I’ve made and the hard work I’ve put in are really paying off for us."
Yikes. Have you been here before? When something’s going well in your life, have you entertained the seductive lie from Satan that you’ve arrived there by your own accord? By the works of your two hands, wisdom, or grit? God knows our hearts are inclined to this pride.
“When something’s going well in your life, have you entertained the seductive lie from Satan that you’ve arrived there by your own accord?”
Called to Remember
After spending decades wandering in the wilderness because of their disobedience and folly, we hear Moses warn the Israelites over and over in Deuteronomy that they ought not think of themselves too highly as they finally go to possess the Promised Land. Rather, he pleads, “Remember . . . “ (Deut. 8:2), “Take care lest you forget . . .” (Deut. 8:11), “Know, therefore that the Lord your God is not giving you this land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people” (Deut. 9:6).
This temptation is laid plainly before the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:12-18:
“. . . lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart may be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt... that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Remember what the Lord has done! As an unbeliever I was as selfish as they come, looking only to my needs and desires. I would calculate how to exert minimal effort for maximum gain in nearly every circumstance. Then Jesus changed it all. So the minute-by-minute giving of my time and energy in motherhood, imperfect as it is, is truly and utterly miraculous. I can delight in laying aside “self-care” for the constant care of my six children knowing that Jesus did that! To God be all the glory.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:1-10).
Christian sister, are you delighting in God, his word, and the good works he has for you? This is not your own doing. Give God the glory. Really. Stop right now and ponder his merciful kindness, his free gift of grace—plucking you from darkness and bringing you into his marvelous light (see 1 Pet. 2:9), and now enabling you by his spirit to die to sin and joyfully pursue holiness.
“Clinging to any distinction other than the finished work of Christ is a foolish aim often fueled by selfish ambition. ”
Fight Self-Righteousness
The Word gives us a bird’s eye view of the Israelites roaming the wilderness, doubting God’s miracle-wielding kindness towards them, and blatantly disobeying his good commands. It is cringe-worthy to read at times. Likewise, in hindsight, those thoughts I had while making the bread can summon physical nausea. But pride comes in varying forms and we would benefit by recognizing them quickly.
Gossip and slander are, at their root, an attempt to appear better in comparison to another. These are antithetical to the gospel that tells us “all have sinned and fall short” (Rom. 3:23), and “surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccles. 7:20). The next time someone whispers, “Can you believe they did that?” Say yes! Something like, “Yes, I can believe it! Sin is enticing and Satan is prowling around seeking to kill and destroy. I’ve been tempted to do x, y, and z and I think, if you’re honest, you’ve been tempted in these ways too. It is only because of Jesus that I have been saved from the way of the wicked.” Nip the vain temptation to hoard any glory for yourself in the bud and instead give it all to God.
Another, possibly more subtle, but more dangerous disguise of pride is finding your identity in your accomplishments (Identity can also be contrived. Has this ever been more evident than in this age of social media where it is easy to fabricate an image far removed from reality?).
Clinging to any distinction other than the finished work of Christ is a foolish aim often fueled by selfish ambition. “For what do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it (1 Cor. 4:7)?
Sister, has God given you gifts? Are you marked by those gifts or are you known as a humble steward of them? It is the height of folly for us to take credit for any ability designed and distinguished by the hand of our Creator.
This world is crying out for an answer to its brokenness. Oh that it would find Christians waving no other flag than the banner of Jesus Christ! Lord, let our lives exalt only Christ. Help us to remember the source of anything good or admirable in us has come wholly from you. And let us be quick to tell all who will listen of your power and might.
Janaye Atkinson is a wife and mother of six children. She gets to spend her days teaching her children and serving her family through homemaking. She is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky and the Social Media Manager of Gospel Grown, a publisher of gospel-centered resources for children, founded by her husband Jonny. Connect with @janayeatkinson and follow @gospelgrown on Instagram.
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.
