When Paul and Barnabas were preaching the Gospel in Lystra, a man who had been lame from birth was healed. (Acts 14) When the crowd saw what happened they cried out “the gods have come down to us in human form!” (Acts 14:11) They brought bulls and wreaths to the City gates, because they wanted to offer sacrifices to them. When Paul and Barnabas saw their response they tore their clothes and cried out “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you.” (Acts 14:15)
Paul and Barnabas were quick to correct the people of Lystra. They could have used this moment as an opportunity to promote themselves, but they chose to make it very clear that it was Jesus who had done this miracle and that the glory belonged to Him alone. Paul & Barnabas tore their clothes, they reacted quickly and drastically to put things right because their motivation was to bring glory to Jesus.
We can do so many things in life, and our motive and motivation for doing them is more important to God than what we do. We see this clearly portrayed in Acts 8 when Simon the Sorcerer came to the Apostles, asking to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money. Simon wanted this gift for his own glory. He wanted people to think he was a special gifted person. Peter said to Simon “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.” (Acts 8:20-21)
Our heart needs to always be full of the desire to please God, to bring glory to the name of Jesus. In the ministry I have had to constantly challenge myself with this thought: Why am I doing what I am doing? Is it to bring glory to Jesus? We need God to cleanse us and rid us of motives that pull ourselves and others away from bringing glory to Him.
As we seek to bring glory to Jesus, His glory increases in and over our lives, our lives become banners and signs for others to read and point them to Jesus. We need to be like Paul and Barnabus – quick to point other to Jesus, quick to give glory to Him.
I have found as I have made it clear who the source of the goodness and power of God is to others, the goodness and power of God increases. God’s favor increases, opportunities increase. In many respects God entrusts us with sharing the Gospel, we have this wonderful humbling responsibility to be a channel for God’s blessing and power in this world. Let’s always do things with the motive of bringing glory to the name of Jesus.
