2 Corinthians 4:5-7 states: “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

I hear people claim credit, or they are given credit, for the things they have done. But God points us to the truth, that when we do anything for Christ, it is His power, and not ours that facilitates our sharing Jesus.

Verse 5, above, begins with a clear statement: “what we preach is not ourselves”. That is certainly not the popular thinking of today. Today, people want to claim credit and be exalted for anything good they do. By pointing to themselves, they are discounting God and what He has done for us in Jesus.

But God is truly the source of anything good we do. Consider these verses:

James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

1 Corinthians 12:7-11: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

As we consider the above verses, it is clear that all gifts any of us have are from God. He equips. He is the source of every ability. Therefore, He deserves the credit and glory and honor for any use of these gifts. Whether we are preaching the Gospel, helping someone in need, making a meal, etc., God deserves the glory for our ability to do all of these things.

What gifts has God imbedded into you? How do you use these for Him regularly? 

When we have any thought that we are the source of any good we do, it is the beginning of trouble, because that is an expression of pride. Pride is the source of all sin. It is vital that we recognize pride, confess it to the Lord, and ask Him to cleanse us of those sinful thoughts before they are able to take root in our hearts.

Daniel 5:20-22 reveals what God can do when our pride needs humbling: “But Nebuchadnezzar became proud and stubborn, so his power was taken away from him. He was taken off his royal throne and stripped of his glory. Then Nebuchadnezzar was forced to go away from people. His mind became like the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox. He became wet with dew. These things happened to him until he learned his lesson. He learned that God Most High rules over human kingdoms, and he gives them to whoever he wants.”

God is our Creator, therefore, He deserves ALL the honor for anything good that we do. Because God loves us, He will humble us for His glory and our benefit.

It is hard to always give God credit, but the more we do it, the easier it becomes to glorify Him. When we do this, our relationship with our amazing God flourishes. Isn’t that what all of Christ’s followers desire – a relationship with God that is vibrant, alive and abundant?

In the 2 Corinthians passage cited above, we are told that we are “jars of clay”. What picture does that create in your mind? Clay jars are created by a potter. In our case, we are created by the Master Potter, God! As our Potter, He deserves the glory for creating our clay jar.

Our great God is able to give our “clay jars” strength so that we can serve and honor Him. Is that your goal – to serve and honor God? If not, what other goal in life is more worthwhile than that?

In Ecclesiastes Solomon states that everything is meaningless, unless of course it is done by God’s power and for His glory. One of my past Bible teachers called it “soap bubbles, soap bubbles”. Soap bubbles burst forth but quickly burst into something meaningless. This is what happens when we boast instead of giving God credit and glory!

Are you spending your life in a meaningful way, or is your life like soap bubbles? 

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, your life is soap bubbles. That can change now, if you will humble yourself, admit you are a sinner and need Jesus. Ask God to help you take this step, you will for all eternity be glad you did!

If I can help you take this step, please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.