Saturday, August 22, 2026

Scripture

“And they glorified God because of me.” Galatians 1:24

Reflections

Will anyone glorify God because of you?  Call God “great” because of you?

The Apostle Paul had quite the life.  He was a violent persecutor of the Church.  On the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with the living Jesus Christ and was totally transformed.  The next thing you know, he had gained quite a reputation among the followers of Jesus.  “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” (Gal. 1:23)  What a dramatic change!

Consequently, the people “glorified God” because of Paul.  He doesn’t write about them praising him because of his conversion.  He doesn’t focus on the people being amazed at him.  He doesn’t even mention that they were astonished.  Instead, all the focus was on God and what God had done through him.

The tempter wants to shift the focus off God and onto us.  When telling our stories, it can be tempting to draw attention to ourselves.  But when it comes to faith, it is not just about us and our decision to follow God.  It begins with how God has come and made himself known to us.  Everything thereafter is our response.

God is the One who truly deserves all the glory.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the extraordinary things you can do through ordinary people like the Apostle Paul and even me.  May you be glorified through me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Full Reading: Galatians 1:18-24