Peter and John healed a beggar, and immediately the crowd wanted to make them heroes. Peter's response is so refreshingly humble: 'Why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?' They immediately redirected all attention to Jesus. This is countercultural. Our entire entertainment industry is built on creating personal brands, on making individuals famous.
I'm a pastor who sometimes struggles with this. When a sermon goes well, when people say they were blessed, there's a part of me that wants to take credit. But Peter's response keeps me honest. Any spiritual power we have is borrowed. It's his Spirit working through us. The moment I start believing my own hype is the moment I become ineffective.
One Sunday after church, someone said my sermon changed their perspective on a marriage issue. I could have let that compliment sit. Instead, I said: 'I'm so glad, but that was the Holy Spirit using whatever words came out of my mouth. Thank him, not me.' Her face fell slightly. But then she nodded. We both understood something truer. The spiritual life is not about human personalities. It's about getting ourselves out of the way.
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